Lost in Dark Forest
by StarCharmer
Summary: When she dried herself and came out wrapped only in a white towel, Dale was there. Startled, she gasped and almost dropped her towel. Embarrassed, she quickly secured the clothe, avoiding his laughing eyes... new chappy! What's going to happen on the trip
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Lost

As the sun sank deeper and deeper behind the horizon, she started to loose control. Half screaming, she stumbled through the bushes, too tired to run. The feature of the forest had become more and more unfamiliar with every step she took. She couldn't tell where she was or which way she should go. If only she had not accepted the dare. That stupid dare… She sobbed in her mind with great regret. Tears streaked her face, and yet more poured from her crystal – green eyes; these eyes were filled with fear and anxiety, despair flashed in them constantly. She was consumed by exhaustion and consternation; she could feel the presence of another here in the forest, not just an animal, but a dreadful creature. The feeling that someone was following her, tracing her every step terrified her. Constantly, she whipped her head around, but would see nothing at all but endless green surrounding her. This feeling had clung on to her ever since twilight had begun to rise, and it only grew larger since then to swallow her. She stumbled once more and her knees gave away, she landed on her bottom and was unable to get up, for her strength had been depleted. Peering fearfully around her, her body was no longer capable of supporting her and she collapsed on the soft ground of earth. What's the point of running? She murmured in her mind. It all look the same, I'll never find a way. Her body trembled, all the muscles in her body ached and contracted. Now she only wanted to close her eyes and allow sleep to come. But then she saw familiar faces appearing in her mind, urging her to go on, not to give up. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up with a prodigious amount of effort. Then she began to run again, panting as her lung tightened and her chest burned.

She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, determined to find a way out. Whatever it was that was stalking her, she would not let it have the satisfaction of seeing her fear, her pride wouldn't allow it. Courage once again swirled in her heart, giving her the last shove of strength. The sun had sunken completely below the horizon now; a shroud of shadow was cast over the dense forest, making it even darker than it was. The compact canopy of leaves above her blocked the last of twilight, curtaining her vision with darkness. With only the soft beams of moonlight that broke through the thick blanket of darkness to guide her, she darted on, not knowing which direction she was heading and continually crashed into the trees or bushes so prevalent around her.

Suddenly, she broke through the wall of dark bushed and stumbled into a clearing. Moonlight instantly fell down upon her, and the dark celestial dome was visible above her, beset by myriad of dazzling stars, each sparkled with energy in its place. In the center of the clearing luminous with gentle silver haze, a little cottage stood silently. A hopeful smile of relief spread across her face; now she'd have somewhere to sleep with the most comfort she could find in the terrifying forest. She limped over to it slowly, her legs shaking, threatening to fail her at any moment. The cottage was made of logs, and that it seemed so old that it could crumble to dust any time and leave behind only small pieces of the wood that it was once composed of. She drew closer to the small cottage, examining it with curiosity and suspicion. Who would live at such place? She wondered. But she could be sure that no one came here anymore, considering how the logs seemed to be splintering. The windows were all covered by a thick layer of dust, preventing her from peeking into the cottage. She made a circle around the house, inspecting the level of safeness that her new found sanctuary could provide her. Finally, she stepped onto the porch warily, taking each step with great circumspect in case the wood was to break beneath her feet. The plank of the porch squeaked heavily as she walked over to the door.

She closed her eyes and prayed that the door was not locked, and then opened her eyes and placed her hand on the cold, iron doorknob. Holding her breath, she turned the doorknob, and, to her surprise, the wooden door swung open with a soft squeak. She smiled a grateful smile and stepped inside.

It was dark inside, darker than the night. It took a moment for her to adjust her eyes to her dark surrounding. Barely, she made out the blear shapes of a table and two chairs. Other things stood deeper in the shadow that hid them from her view. Quickly, she scanned the room, not bothering to familiarize herself with the space inside of the cottage. She spotted the dark shape of a bed in the back corner of the room, where a slight smear of moonlight that managed to prowl its way through the dusty window, glowed weakly. Overcame by fatigue, she staggered toward the bed and fell down on it, lying prone with her head turned to one side. Her thoughts began to drift away and the world began to fall away. She seemed to hear the sound of howling from a distance, but she didn't care; she felt much safer than she was outside, and that was enough to warm her enervating faith. Sleep came easily and immediately, and Xenia plunged deep into the dreamworld.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The Stranger

**Xenia ran as fast as she could, putting every last effort into an attempt to escape whatever was stalking her. It was too dark to see, and she kept bumping into or tripping over objects; but she didn't notice at all, all her attention was focused on putting some distance between her and the creature. Dark as it already was, there was something darker out there; she caught a glimpse of a shadow among shapes that looked like trees or bushes. Her fear shot past its zenith, driving her ever so close to insanity. The shadow appeared again and again, sometimes to her left, sometimes to her right, and sometimes, she felt, behind her. **

**She picked up more speed, though her legs were weak from running for so long and her lung had begun to fail her. Suddenly, the shadow materialized in front of her. She gave a yelp of shock and terror, loosing her balance to the sudden halt she forced her legs into. She stared at the shadow with dread, paralyzed by fear. The moon so round above her cast its light down slowly as the creature moved toward her. Xenia tried her best to stop herself from trembling and shedding tears, but panic won the battle against her courage and pride. Her whole body shook violently and her knees gave away, sinking down to the ground. The creature was now looming over her; then she saw to her horror, in the glowing moonlight, two murderous, blood – red eyes glared down at her, they shone with sinister mockery. She stared into the horrible gaze, unable to break away from the ghastly enchantment they pulled her into. He knelt down in front of her so their eyes were at the same level. She saw his razor – sharp fangs glowing in the light as he grinned devilishly at her. She trembled at the sight of the fiend before her, her tears rolling down her cheeks and dripped down to the ground to form a little puddle. **

"**You are all mine…" His grin widened as he spoke to her with coy wickedness. Then he leaned toward her neck and bit down mercilessly. She screamed…**

She woke with a start, still panting and trembling from the nightmare she had just absconded from.

"It was only a dream, just a dream…" She murmured to herself, burying her face in her palms. Her heart beat slowed as she began to gain back her poise. She looked up and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't in her hotel room. Before she could begin to panic, a voice broke the silence in the little cottage, "Good morning," She shrieked dryly and jumped off the bed at the intruding voice, quickly shrinking away from where the voice came from and pressing herself against the wooden wall. She stared intensely toward the dark corner where the voice emerged from. A boy sat there in the shadow, looking up at her with an amused smile. She couldn't see so well since the light wasn't able to pierce through the foggy windows completely. Light! She cried in her mind, suddenly aware that it was morning already. Quickly, she turned her attention back to the boy in the corner, putting on a brave face at the same time to make herself seem powerful when she was actually weak.

"Who are you and why – "before she finished, he held up his hand and wagged his forefinger at her.

"Not a word, human. Since you are now in my territory, we shall do things my way, and so I shall be the one asking questions." He said with an air of authority that awed Xenia. She wasn't the kind of girl that would give control to someone else, for she was a natural leader, too proud to have another to order her around; but this stranger, this boy, could silence her just with a simple sentence and a careless gesture. She felt frustrated, and yet was unable to push another world out of her mouth. He stood up from where he was sitting and came closer to the dim light shone into the room through the small windows, standing on the edge of the shadow in the room. She couldn't keep herself from gasping: he was absolutely the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen. The boy was about the same age as her, perhaps a year older or so; his blond hair was cut short, not at all arranged in any particular way, looking messy and untended. A few locks of his golden hair fell before his sea – blue eyes, clear as crystal, they gleamed in what little soft light there was in the room. He was tall and lean and had the sharp features of a predator and of intelligence. He wore an unbuttoned white shirt, a pair of ripped dark jeans and a pair of sneakers that looked like they had carried their master through a rocky mountain range that stretched longer than the Himalayas. She could tell that he was muscular, not the manly kind of muscular, but the slender, elvish sort of muscular they described in the books she read before. He was pale, paler than anyone she had met before, so pale that he could be a match for the moon. He was perfection, or the closest to perfection she had ever seen. Yet, she disliked him the first moment she saw the look he carried on his face; it was effrontery and contempt that he looked upon her with, his smile half mocking and half interested as if she was some kind of exotic animal that he hadn't seen before.

"First, what's your name?" He asked, looking as if he didn't really care.

"It's Xenia." She answered reluctantly, feeling that he was planning to humiliate her or something.

"So, Xenia, I can't help but wonder what you are doing in my cottage. And most importantly, what are you doing all by yourself out here so deep in the forest, away from the safety of your own kind?"

"What do you mean by 'your own kind'?" She asked, confused by his question. He chuckled, finding her perplexity very funny in some sense.

"What's so funny?" Xenia asked with a frown, at the same time deciding that he would be categorized as a jerk, like those arrogant and self – centered guys in her school.

"Wouldn't you like to know. You haven't answered my questions yet, and you better do it soon; I'll have you know that I don't like taking strangers under my care without knowing who they are and what they're trying to do first."

"It's a long story," she replied, making little pretense that she disliked the distain in his voice. He stared at her as if waiting for her to tell the story; she signed with annoyance and summarized the tragic event that happened to her just yesterday for him.

"Well, me and my friends came to North California for summer vacation. We did all kinds of fun stuff and got bored, so we decided to go to the Nantahala National Forest. We were hiking on the trail like happy little campers, it was a nice day, you know. Anyway, after about forty five minutes of hiking, two of my friends and I were kind of behind, the other people got ahead of us. We saw this wilderness trail some distance away from our trail. I told my friends that it probably leads to the same place that our trail leads, and they dared me to take that trail and meet them later at the place that our trail leads. So I took the wilderness trail and we separated. I sort of slipped and fell down, I don't really remember, it was like a hill or something. I think I hit my head on a rock or something, 'cause I fainted. When I woke up, it was already afternoon, well, at least I thought it was. I was totally off the trail and couldn't really find my way back since it looked all the same around me. I didn't bring my map, and it probably won't be any use if I did; so I chose a direction that I thought was most likely to be the one I came from, and started hiking again. I got lost and couldn't find anyone or any trail. Then a while after the sun set, I found this cottage and decided to spend a night in it, so there you have it."

"Ahhhh…" The boy exclaimed in an oh-I-see tone and shook his head as like a father would at a silly child.

"Why did you accept the dare? That was foolish and reckless."

She blushed and looked away from him, feeling embarrassed.

"Well… I just thought that… that it would be fun."

He chuckled and shook his head again in slow motion, "You were just trying to look good in front of your friends, weren't you? I know you humans too well."

She scowled at him and said in a bitter tone, "It's none of your business, and stop acting like you know everything, it's getting annoying. Also, why are you calling me human?"

He gave a short chortle that made her scowl again. Stupid jerk, he's probably mentally challenged… she snorted in her mind, feeling the anger aroused inside her.

"It's none of your business." He mimicked her expression and her tone with playfulness. She was really getting pissed off now, if she had been somewhere she was familiar with and knew who he was, she would have exploded right in front of him and bit off his head. By the way he sneered, she supposed that he recognized the sour look on her face and probably guessed what she was thinking.

"So, are you gonna tell me who you are and why you're here? Or are you gonna stare at me all day with that ridiculous look?"

"Actually, I prefer to stare at you all day with that ridiculous look of my, as you described it. I guess you're the kind of girl that would go berserk if I '_**disobey**_' your order to me to identify myself, but it'd probably be better if you don't know, for your own sake, so why don't you just leave it there and call me whatever you want?"

Xenia looked at him with annoyance, "Why wouldn't I want to know? Oh, don't tell me, you are some sort of dangerous, wanted criminal that escaped from prison cell and is hiding in national forests while the FBI is out there somewhere searching for you. Or maybe you're some kind of psychopath that strayed off from your asylum and accidentally wandered into the national forests. Yeah, like that's the 'something' you think I wouldn't want to know. Listen, I'm not looking for trouble, I just wanna get the hell out of here and back to my home. I don't care who you are or what you're doing here as long as you can help me get back to my hotel. So do you know how I can get back there? Can you please help me?"

"Why would I help you? What's in it for me?" The boy's gaze lingered on her lazily with amusement. Xenia was loosing her temper and patience, she hated dealing with jerks, especially the really smart ones. She pondered for a moment: this might just be the one person that could get her home, even though she had no idea why he was even here in the first place. Since he didn't really seem lost, she would assume that he knew the way around the forests really well. To get him to help her, she needed to be on his good side, so she needed to manage her emotions.

Pushing back her anger, she put on a hopeful and pleading expression. He regarded her sudden change of attitude with suspicion and amusement, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Please, I really want to go home, if you know how to get back on the trail, would you please help me? If you help me, you'd be doing something good, and good people are always rewarded in the end for their good deeds, so would you please help me?" She pleaded sweetly, looking at him with puppy-dog eyes. He watched her quietly with thoughtful eyes; she found herself surprised at how fast his expression changed from mocking and amused to solemn.

"I don't really care about good deeds or whatsoever, if I do help you, it's because I don't want you here, nor do I want to be stuck with you. But I'm sorry to say that I am not capable of helping you."

It took a moment for Xenia to realize that he wasn't lying, but telling the truth. "So… So, you're lost too…" She murmured, her hope was suddenly swept away and instantly replaced by despair. She slid down onto the ground covered by dust and dirt with her back against the cottage wall. She curled up in a ball and buried her face on her knees, overcame by dismay and fear. Now you will never get home, a voice echoed in her mind cruelly, every single moment breaking her will to survive.

The boy signed, "I do know the path,"

He stared at her sympathetically as her head shot up and her light green eyes shone with new hope, expectant and bright.

"You know the way back?"

He nodded slowly.

"So why can't you help me?"

"Well," he started reluctantly, "I can't go out while daylight is still present, even the weakest ray of sunlight would burn me. I would've been able to help at night if not for the guards and hunters around my domain. So you see, in the daylight, I'll be at risk if I'm to be outside; and after dusk till the next sunrise, you'll be in danger if you're to be outside."

"Wait," Xenia stood up, her anger again swelling inside her. This time, she made no effort to hide her rage.

"So are you telling me you're a vampire?" She asked, louder than she usually was.

A mischievous grin spread across his face that had been serious a moment ago, "Maybe…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Truth or Lie

She glared at him, her eyes fierce with a new wave of fury. Her fists were clenched tight by her side and her face flushed bright red that it seemed she would begin to burn any moment. He watched with renewed interest as she tried to manage the control over her emotions. What would she do now? He wondered with the same amusement.

"You're just messing with me aren't you? Well, Mr. 'Vampire', your joke is as old as you are, and stupid too. If you're not going to help me, I'll find my own way home!" She was near the point of screaming as her last word left her lips. Storming past the boy, she made her way to the door and placed her hand on the handle.

Before she could turn it, a pale hand shot out from behind and grabbed her hand in a firm grip. She shivered at the cold touch, his hand felt like a block of ice. She whirled around and stared into those mesmerizing blue eyes, again shocked at how beautiful those sea – blue orbs were. He smiled at her frivolously, but this time, she could see hidden earnest seriousness underneath his careless manner.

"That's not a good idea, you'll only be getting yourself into trouble. First, there's an infinitesimal chance that you'll be able to find your way home, and actually none at all since you've crossed the threshold. If you go crashing through the forest, you'll only get lost. Second, there're others out there at night that will sense your presence and hunt you down. So, if you step out of the door now and walk into the woods, there's no hope for you of surviving."

"You are unbelievable. Maybe you _are_ crazy, you probably did run away from a mental asylum. Now let go of me!" She glared at him struggling to free her hand caught firm in his. He chuckled at her futile attempt and caught her other hand with his free one. He pushed her against the door and pinned her hands above her on the wood. He leaned closer and stared deeply into her eyes. Xenia was sudden overcame by waves of confusion as his eyes bored into hers; her thoughts were drifting away, she felt them dissolving into nothing. She tried to think, to remember something, but all she saw both with her eyes and in her mind was those pools of blue, drowning her in the serenity of blank vacancy.

"Listen to me," he said slowly in a gentle whisper. His words rang in her mind, again and again. She couldn't really understand them, it was as if these words were of an alien language.

"You'll stay inside the cottage and not go wandering in the forest. You are to stay here, where it is safe, do you understand me?"

His voice sounded distant now, so far away and strange. She felt her eyelids growing heavier, threatening to draw her into unconsciousness. Slowly, she lowered her head a little, unaware of what she was doing, showing that she understood.

"Good." She heard the voice whispering, then she sunk into darkness.

Xenia collapsed in his arms, her body became limp and soft. Without the slightest effort, Dale slipped his arms under her and picked her up.

"Humans," He murmured, and shook his head with contempt.

"So you don't believe in vampires… Yet there is one right beside you now, and many others more roam this land." He carried her to the old bed and set her down as quickly as possible. Then he hurried back into the shadow and out of the dim light. It all happened in an instant, so fast that mere human eyes would not be able to follow. The light was weak, yet it stung his skin; he was grateful for his inherent vampire ability to move faster than the wind. He sat down on the dusty floor and stared softly at the unconscious human girl. Poor thing, he thought with pity, She doesn't even know where she is, the poor thing, she has no idea that she's crossed the threshold.

He watched as her chest rose and fell steadily, her breathing even and calm. Why did I stop her? He wondered unhappily. I should've just let fate have her, I shouldn't have intervened at all.

Dale pondered with frustration, wondering if he had grown weak. He had no love for human, not at all, especially not since they had killed his mother. He never shown clemency toward his preys, those that he hunted down died painfully with horror. It was only after his vow that he ceased his predation upon humans; and it was after her death that his resentment and abhorrence for the human kind grew immense. The only one in all the five realms he abominated more than the humans was _**him**_. Dale cursed under his breath. "Him…" He growled. He had waited for this chance for nearly two decades, and now it came to him fortuitously, yet he couldn't put his plan into action.

The previous night, he came inside the cottage just before dawn, only to find one of the roots of his hatred. At the first sight of her, he was struck by an idea, one that could help him fulfill his revenge, to gain back his kingdom, his rightful place. He was overwhelmed by different plans of how he could use the girl as bait to get through the thick, impedimental barrier of vampire guards. Once he was through, it would be easy to get to the castle, for they would not be cognizant of his absence from his domain. If he could be successful in penetrating the defense outside the castle, it would be easy for him to get to _**him**_. Then he could finally face _**him**_, he would fight and he would be victorious. He would make _**him**_ suffer for what _**he**_ did, he would make _**him**_ pay. Yet, even though his desire for revenge burned with such vigorous vitality, something stopped him from taking action. It was the human girl, suspected. There was something different about this girl, he couldn't tell what, but she possessed something of a rarity among the human kind, a quality that he didn't quite recognize. No matter what it was, he could not bear the thought of her getting hurt.

He snarled at himself, irritated by his new found mercy. Humans are all weak, inferior. He thought with scorn and disgust, They are but weaklings, our prey, definitely not fit to be a friend or even a… He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Whatever was stopping him would eventually disappear, so he decided, and when that moment came, he could make his decisions.

Retreating deeper into the dark corner, he sat down and closed his eyes, beginning the long wait for evening to come.

When she woke, the room was darker than it had been in the morning. Rubbing her eyes with confusion, she pushed herself up from the bed. The old bed squeaked in protest, unable to take the sudden movement. Judging by the light in the room, she would say that it was dusk already. How is it that I was sleeping? She wondered, her head was too clouded to remember anything; all she could recalled before fainting was the two crystal – blue eyes that stared down at her. Suddenly, Xenia remembered the boy she encountered this morning. Scanning the room warily, she found nothing but dark shadow. Fear began to weave a shroud of despair as she began to panic; sure she didn't like the boy, but even if he was a jerk, at least he could keep her company. If she hadn't met him at all, being alone, she would have been more scared than she was. She now realized that it was better to have a maniac around than having no one. Anxious and frightened, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She rocked back and forth to comfort herself, trying to convince herself that he was coming back, that she wouldn't have to face the terror of being lost alone in this vast, dark forest.

An abrupt chortle rang in the little cottage, making her jump in surprise. A figure emerged from the dark corner where the boy had been this morning. She couldn't see well with so little light, but she recognized the shape immediately.

"Will you stop scaring me like that?" She scowled at him with displeasure, secretly thrilled to see him again.

"I'm not even trying to scare you!" He chuckled, staying in the shadow. The light had grown weaker, for she couldn't see well anymore. She narrowed her eyes, but could barely separate his dark form from the shadow, it was as if the two had merged into one. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly realized how thirsty and hungry she was. Licking her dry lips, she felt a surge of enervation washed over her. Dizzy, she lay down on the bed, moaning weakly.

"Oh…" the boy exclaimed from the darkness. Before she could blink, he was sitting on the edge of the bed; he moved so silently that she wouldn't had been able to tell that he was beside her if not for the small vibration he made sitting down on the bed.

"I forgot, you need food and water. Humans are so inconvenient to keep." The boy mocked. Xenia felt a stream of anger flowing into her. So the stupid jerk is going to keep playing his vampire game? Well, fine with me! She thought with annoyance, finding no strength to speak her thoughts out loud.

"Well, I'll be back in no time, don't run off into the woods, you'll only be running into more danger." As his last word dissolved into air, she heard the door squeaked open softly, then there came the silent sound of the door swinging shut. Xenia signed and stared up at the dark ceiling. The boy definitely knew the ways around the woods, she was sure. Judging by the cloths he wore, he was probably still in contact with the outside world, and so he must knew a way out of the cursed place. She would have to figure out a way to receive his help soon, or she could be stuck here for quite a while. Her friends and parents must be worried sick, so she thought, if only she wasn't so stubborn. She was always stubborn, that she knew, and because of her excessive pride trouble always came wherever she was. This time it wasn't just trouble, but a matter of life and death. Not exactly, she thought and chuckled softly with sarcasm, This vampire guy is probably going to help me eventually, so I guess this is not so bad, at least I'm still alive.

The light had completely gone out, the cottage was now cold and dark. Xenia shivered; she didn't like darkness, not at all, she was a daughter of the sun, not a mistress of the moon. Her simple T-shirt and sweatpants were not enough to keep her warm. It was strange for her, for she did not notice the cold at all last night; perhaps it was because she was too terrified and exhausted, so she concluded. She gave another long sign and rolled onto her side.

The door swung open in a sudden, making her jump. A dark figure stood at the doorway, his shadow looming over her. Behind him was the silver moonlight, glowing peacefully in the night sky and showering down upon the land. She shifted her gaze to the boy as he walked inside and closed the door. The room was dark again, the beams that shone through the window provided not enough light for her to see. She pursed her lips in discontent as she listened for his movement but heard not a sound, not a footstep, not word. In the room there was nothing but stillness and shadow. Waiting for him to speak, she found herself fearing his taciturnity. For quite a while the cottage was empty of any noise, she could hear only herself breathing. Nervous and anxious, she called out pusillanimously, "Hey… Are you there?"

From somewhere in the shadow, a quiet chortle emerged, "Did you not see me come in? How can I not be here? I'm trying to get the fire to start, in a minute, you'll have all the light you want. I can tell you're afraid of darkness." He ended his words in derision. Xenia rolled her eyes with a slight exasperation; it seemed that the strange boy enjoyed very much in provoking her anger, knowing that she couldn't swallow the slightest disdain from him because she was full of pride. There was a spark in the darkness, a small one, but she managed to see it. The yellow spark shivered weakly, threatening to disappear any time. As she watched, it grew bigger all in a sudden, then shrank a little. The cycle repeated a few times more, and the spark burst into golden red flame. Light filled the room, and as the boy, kneeling down by the fire, threw a few more thick branches into the fire, it grew larger, illuminating light into every dark corner of the cottage. The light drove off the shadow and the unpleasant chilliness, allowing her to unwind and be relieved.

The boy stood up from beside the fire and turned toward her. He clutched a sack in his hand that bulged with whatever was in it. Smiling complacently, perhaps a little haughty also, he came over and sat down by her, placing the sack down on the bed. Xenia sat up immediately despite her weariness, for it was too awkward for her to have someone, especially a total male stranger, sitting on the bed that she was lying on. She began to hope that he wasn't up to anything sinister, she would be helpless if he tried to force anything upon her in the middle of the maze-like forest. She decided that she would keep an eye on the boy and would not give him her complete trust.

"How are you back so fast?" Xenia asked, remembering that he hadn't been gone for long.

"Super speed." He answered in a chuckle. She was really starting to hate his chuckle, it was really getting on her nerves.

"Not again with the vampire thing!" She complained unhappily, a little angry that he insisted on joking around with a poor, lost girl.

"I see you still refuse to accept the truth."

"Once again, vampires don't exist, they're just scary monsters that people made up for the sake of fiction."

"Well, it doesn't matter that you don't believe in us, but you'll see in time, you'll realize that 'fiction' is more than made up stories."

She rolled her eyes and looked at him as like he was insane. Again, she was stunned by how beautiful and mesmerizing his eyes were. They glimmered in the firelight with luster as like sapphires would; his blue gaze was locked on her own green ones with intensity. Feeling ashamed abruptly of how plain she was compared to his angelic countenance, she lowered her head with disappointment of her not-so-pretty look. He didn't seem to notice, or, she guessed, he just ignored her feelings.

"By the way," He said with an air of carelessness. "My name is Dale."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – The Others that Hunt

He left her alone in the cottage, excusing himself for the sake of 'hunting', or so he told her. She just shook her head with annoyance, and thought him deranged. Xenia had read in vampire novels before that vampires also hunted for animals at desperate times, or if they were unwilling to feed on human blood. But she was pretty sure that he would not prey upon them or her, being certain that all this was but a ruse he played for merely his own amusement, or so she concluded since she couldn't think of any other reason that he would want her to believe him to be a creature of the undead. If she had not been so drained, she would have gathered all her energy to shut him up for good. But she was weak and frightened of her situation, and since he brought back food and water for her in the sack, she decided to let it go and ignore his silly hoax.

She gobbled up the wild berries and other strange-looking fruits he brought back in the sack, the juice slid down from the corner of her mouth and drip down from her chin. Not noticing how vulgar she looked as she devoured the food and water, she quickly finished eating. Her stomach was full, bringing comfort and satisfaction. Wiping the juice from her chin and lips, she put the now empty sack beside her on the bed. Thinking of the Dale, she was thankful that she met him, even though he was an arrogant brat. The fire blazed in the little cottage, and for the first time, she realized how well she could see now. Curious, she scanned the little space slowly, engraving every single detail into her memory so that she could tell her tale when she was rescued and sent back to home safely.

There was not much in the little cottage except for the old bed she still sat upon and a few other pieces of furniture. To her left was the wooden door, the only entrance leading into and out of the cottage. The door was old and did not close properly, for she could feel the freezing wind that slipped through the gap between the door itself and the wall that it was attached to. To her right, what looked like a cooking range was set in the corner, built by large chunks of stones that seemed to fit perfectly against each other. An old pot lay upon the stove was set a rusted pan covered in grey dust. Her bed was set straight across the little room from the fire place, in between there was a rectangular table and three chairs of the same size. The table seemed that they would wobble at the slightest touch and the chairs seemed that they would crumble if sat upon. There was glass vase upon the ancient wooden table, a crevice crept upon its round body so thick with dust like the other objects in the little space that it lost all its gleam.

Xenia shook her head at the old and dirty little cottage; it seemed that it had been abandoned and ignored for a very long time. She wondered when Dale had arrived at the pensively lonely shack, and once again, why he was here. How far was her from the hotel anyway, she wondered. Did she wander too far into the forest? Or was she on the edge of the forest without her acknowledgment? Dismay filled her heart: she would never know how to get back without the help of the boy. Her anger rose again at the thought of his refusal to help her. How could he be so cruel, toying with her fragile hope? She was very certain that he knew the way back to the area where tourists and some others interacted with nature, but why would he not help her? She didn't understand, could not comprehend it. Still, he was the one that brought her food and water, and he had not done what she feared that he might, and so perhaps he meant good. If he really is a vampire… NO! She screamed in her head. Vampires DO NOT EXIST!

The door suddenly swung open with such force, startling her enough that she jumped up from the flimsy bed and all the way to the opposite wall from where the door was set. To her relief, she saw that it was only Dale. He shut the door so forcefully that she thought the door would crumble to pieces as it was hurtled against its frame. He whirled around and met her eyes. She flinched as she saw the look in his eyes: murderous light flashed in his deep blue eyes, it was inhuman and bestial. Pushing the fear back from her face, she was unaware that she was pressing herself so tight against the wall that her spine hurt. Perhaps he saw the tremor that was beginning to wrack her body, his eyes softened and his intimidating expression fell away. Xenia watched as he signed and resumed his everyday-look of effrontery. In a blink of an eye, he was in front of her, his nose only a few inches from hers. She fought the urge to cringe and looked into his eyes.

"There is nothing to fear, unless you really believe in vampires." He said with a mocking smile, stepping back so he was no longer intruding her personal space. She found comfort again in those blue eyes, those mesmerizing sea orbs.

"There's no such thing as vampire," She shook her head, her body slowly unwound from its tense posture. "If you're not going to help me, at least stop the all the babbles about vampire, it's getting really irritating."

He gave a dry laugh and said, "If I do help you, would you really trust me? Would you follow me blindly when I would only try to lead you deeper into the forest and force harm upon you? You humans are too gullible, you rely too much on others, and that is why fear has its roots so deep in your hearts."

She shot a glare at him and looked away into the blazing fire. What he said was somehow true for many in the world, like her sister Viola, but definitely not for her, for Xenia was more independent than anyone she had known. But she could not deny the fear that grew in her as seconds flew by in the maze-like forest.

"Don't go outside," he said abruptly, "especially at night, I won't be here all the time to be your babysitter. If you value your life, I suggest you stay in here by all means." She turned back to look at him; there was more solemnity than mockery in his tone. She shrugged, feeling annoyed.

"I'm going to have to get out of this hovel sometime, but I'm not that stupid that to do that in the middle of the night."

"You better not go out there even in the day, if you get lost, you'll never find your way back, when the night falls, your life is as good as over."

"But you know the way around don't you? Just describe it to me, I won't wander too far, but I at least have to know the terrain." She protested. He sneered and walked toward the fireplace to throw in another thick branch he brought back with him when Xenia had just awoken. Then he sat down in front of the fire, his profile facing her.

"Go to sleep," he said quietly. "you're not leaving here on my watch."

She glared at him and shook her head again. Yup, he is definitely crazy. She thought unhappily. Thinking that there was no point in arguing with a psycho, she decided to go to sleep. I'm so going outside tomorrow morning, this broken shack is so killing me. With the thought, she fell asleep.

Dale twisted back to see the girl asleep peacefully. He turned around and leaned back against the wall, watching her from beside the fire. Tonight had not been the worst night in his life, it seemed that the others had sensed her presence. The events that took place tonight came flowing back to him, playing before his eyes:

_He was hunting in the woods when he heard the call. Abandoning the doe he had been stalking, he rushed through the woods with an inhuman speed that would be a match for that of the wind. The trees and bushes flew by him, he dodged every single one with such grace and fluency. It was only a mere few seconds that he took to arrive at the meeting ground, __**their**__ meeting ground. Ivan was waiting for him already, standing in the shadow patiently. Dale came to a stop as he approached his old friend, and paced with ease toward Ivan. _

"_Hello, my friend. I do believe that this is a bit early than what we agreed on. What brings you here? I hope you bring me no bad news?" Dale stepped into the shadow to stand beside his silent companion. _

"_Well," Ivan spoke, his body still as a statue, even his mouth barely moved as his words came. _

"_I assume that you knew this already, since the girl is in your territory."_

_Dale felt tension spreading through his body; his muscles tensed and his fists clenched. His upset reaction was unnatural, he knew, for vampires remained calm in all situations, and few felt threatened when a human could be in danger. He cursed himself for caring about the human girl in such strange way. Ivan noticed it without turning to look at him; silence ensued, there was nothing but the midnight breeze could be heard._

"_Why?" Ivan asked quietly, breaking the silence, "Do you fear for her?" Dale did not reply immediately. There was another period of silence before he spoke._

"_Had she been noticed by many?" His voice was sharp and rigid. For the first time Ivan turned to stare at his isolated friends, frowning._

"_I am one of the few that sniffed her scent. She crossed the threshold at dusk, and a few of the guards had already emerged, I was one of them of course. I am not sure how many sensed her, but not many, I suppose, since most did not come out so early. They would not tell any, I don't think, for they had not tasted fresh human blood for long, and they craved to hunt her down and suck her dry without having to share with others. But why do you ask? You vowed before not to prey upon human any longer, are you tempted now to hunt her down yourself before the others?"_

"_No," Dale replied bitterly. "She is under my care now, and so I must let no harm come to her."_

_Surprise surfaced onto Ivan's blank expression. In his eyes, curiosity glinted._

"_But you hate the human race so! Why protect her?" _

"_Even I cannot fathom my logic, my dear friend, it is an enigma that even I cannot solve."_

"_I see… well, if you wish, I can perhaps hunt down those who had sensed her. But I do not think they would dare to enter your territory, and so as long as she is in your keeping, she should be perfectly safe."_

"_That, I cannot be sure. Over these years, their fear toward me had weakened as my brother's power grew, and like you said, they lusted for fresh human blood, and this one is irresistible."_

"_Then you wish for me to kill them then?"_

"_There's no need to, I can take care of my own business. Beside, the task would most certainly put you at risk, and I would probably loose my loyal best friend to death itself."_

_Dale looked up at the milky-white globe that glowed softly above them that was beginning to shrink from its roundness just yesterday. With sadness and signed._

"_Why do you still pledge your loyalty and service to me? I'm no longer the one in power, I am the banned. If he is to find out about our clandestine meetings and that you're still under my service, the consequence would be severe, and worse possibly. If you have turned to him, it would be so much easier for you."_

_Ivan chuckled and smiled, "I'm doing this not for the heir of the throne but for my best friend. The risk I bear is worth it if I am able to assist my best pal, who I consider a brother of my."_

"_I am grateful," said Dale with gratitude. "I will remember this infinite debt I owe to you, and I shall pay it back in full and more when I claim my rightful place one day. Now farewell, I must go."_

"_Farewell, we'll meet here at the agreed time still, and I'll bring further news to you." _

A wolf howled, bringing Dale back to the present. Ivan's words lingered in his mind, _They would not tell any, I don't think, for they had not tasted fresh human blood for long, and they craved to hunt her down and suck her dry without having to share with others… _Well, that's a good start, he thought sarcastically, But at least there weren't many of them, I suppose I can take them out if necessary. He snarled, thinking of the vampire he killed at the edge of the clearing. After his meeting with Ivan, he immediately came back to the cottage to make sure she was okay, only to find a vampire lurking among the woods near the little shack. The vampire was not as experienced as Dale himself, but was a strong one. Still, it had not been hard. Dale confronted the intruder and won the fight easily, without much effort. He had left the body in the open space to be burned by sunlight in the morning. But the intrusion of his territory had angered him so, his rage spilled and the desire to kill the others who sensed her burned in him. He knew, however, he could not leave his domain or else the others would gang up on him. Not that he couldn't handle a few more vampires, but there were just too many of them. That explained the expression he carried as he entered the cottage.

Now his gaze drifted upon the girl. She was not sleeping well, he could see beads of sweat breaking on her forehead, the slight frown on her face. It seemed that she was having a nightmare. He wondered once again why he was protecting her, and signed.

"Poor Xenia," he whispered, "will you ever see light again?"

Worry filled him with dread, he only hoped that she would remain in the cottage day and night like he asked her to, and that he could eliminate all those who hunted her before any of them had the chance to report their find to his brother.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – The Nightmare

**She ran, stumbling as the shadows wavered slightly all around her in the cold, sable breeze that swirled in the woods. She panted and gasped for air; her chest burned with intense pain and her lung felt as if it was shriveling. With enormous effort, she managed to squeeze some oxygen into her body as she continued on. Exhausted and bewildered, the darkness seemed to spin, above her, beneath her, all around her. Everywhere Xenia looked, there was only shadow, there was no light, not the faintest gleam of starlight. Fear and panic pressed down on her, making it even harder to breath as her heart raced, its irregular rhythm beat clearly into her ears, her mind. There was something out there, tracking her, stalking her. The creature would reveal itself soon enough, she knew, for she had had this nightmare before. She tripped over something all of a sudden and fell into a clearing. Moonlight spilled down upon her, relief washed over her at the sight of the vast, open firmament high above her. A lonely shack stood in the middle of the clearing, caressed by soft moonlight, watched over by myriad of stars. She smiled, knowing that she would see Dale in just a moment. The thought of him comforted her, strangely and to her surprise. **

**She struggled to her feet and started forward for the little cottage. As she came near, she suddenly felt uneasy. The door swung open slowly with a sharp squeak, and she came to a stop, baffled. Then someone stepped out of the door and came into the moonlight, his golden hair caught the soft moon beams that made it seem as if it glowed. But his hair, she began to notice, was not rumpled and short any more; it was only a little above his shoulders and was neatly combed. His eyes were covered by shadow, and she couldn't see so well. **

**His figure began to grow hazy, dissolving into the night. She opened her mouth to call his name, but no voice came. He walked closer, and the shadow faded away from his eyes. Then she saw – those horrible glowing red eyes, blood red eyes, staring at her with hellish fire. She gasped and staggered backward, trying to turn and run. But her body was frozen in place, her feet seemed as if they were turned to stone, too stiff to carry her. She screamed but nothing came out from her lips. The pair of red eyes came closer, his body melted away with the background, there were only the eyes of the fiend, staring at her wildly with lust and sinister laugher. The stare became more intense, swallowing her, paralyzed by fear and shock, in the fire of hell…**

Xenia woke to find herself trembling. Her skin was covered by a sheen of sweat, on her cheeks were streaks of dried tears. She blinked and stared up at the low wooden ceiling of the cottage. Inside her, the last trace of hope faded: she had wished that what happened in the previous two days were but a dream, but now she was plunged into the harsh reality by what she saw before her. Putting her left forearm over her eyes, she moaned. But she would not succumb; she convinced herself that there was still hope, that if she tried, she could find an exit to the maze that trapped her in despair. She sat up abruptly, sending a violent tremor down the bed, making it squeak in protest. The new hope was faint, but it was there along with her refusal to give up that easily.

"I am soooooo out of here!" She muttered under her breath, exhaling with her eyes closed to calm herself. With one swift motion, she swung her legs off the old bed and stood up; she strode toward the door, but before she could touch the handle with her outstretched hand, a figure flashed before her and stood between her and the door. She gasped and staggered back in shock. It took her a moment to remember that Dale was in the little cottage with her.

"It's you again." She sighed, rolling her bright green eyes. He laughed with a hidden edge, "I'm not letting you out. Your struggle against the forest is futile, don't bother trying, you'll just be getting yourself into unnecessary trouble."

"Oh yeah? And why do you care?" She crossed her arms before her chest, challenging him with a glare. His expression suddenly went blank with an unreadable emotion, then before she could study it carefully, it melted away and was replaced by the careless and arrogant smile.

"Just get out of my way, or I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Oh really? I'd like to see you try!" He chuckled. Xenia gave a frustrated cry and punched him in the stomach, or rather tried to, when he caught her hand. She yelled in pain as he tightened his firm grip, crushing her wrist. She grew more furious when she saw the mockery in his eyes.

"Agh! Let go!" She screamed with ire, trying to uncurl his rigid fingers around her wrist with her free hand. Smirking, he grabbed her other hand and she struggled to break free, twisting and kicking. He laughed and let go of her hands suddenly, scooping her up in his arms. She felt herself being lifted, not yet realizing what was happening, she was thrown down on the bed. Letting out another frustrated cry, she tried to sit up but was pressed down again by an unexpected weight. Xenia gasped in surprise and uncertain fear as his ice-cold boy pressed down on hers. Shivering from the shockingly cold contact, she felt stiff and cold as if she was buried by the snow in a blizzard. Bewildered and dizzy, she pushed with her limp arms at him.

"Get… o… off, of… m… me," She commanded through her chattering teeth.

"Still being tough, I see…" He muttered against her skin, his lips brushing gently against the hollow beneath her ear, and his cold breath tickling her, paralyzing her with an alien pleasure. She was unable to think, her thoughts spinning as it faded into the back of her now blank mind. Then she felt something sharp suddenly against her neck… Her senses snapped back into place and she gasped, "Get off of me you bastard!" She pushed at the adamant that pressed down at her.

"Do you believe in vampires now?" He smirked with mischief, his cold breath again mad the skin on her neck numb, leaving a strange yet soothing sensation there.

"NO!" She cried angrily, pushing him again. He chuckled and she felt the weight and coldness lifted from her. She sat up immediately and stared at his vague outline in the shadowed corner, eyes wide full of ambivalence.

"I dazzled you didn't I?" he scoffed in challenge. She blushed, trying to forget the pleasure she had felt. Now she was really starting to wonder if he was a vampire.

"Shut up. Just let me out." Then she jumped down the bed and made for the door again only to be thrown back onto the bed. She glared at him, her eyes blazing with fury.

"You're not going out on my watch, it's too dangerous." He said vaingloriously with a trace of somberness in his tone.

"Well, you're going to have to leave sometime, like, go 'hunting'" she made a quotation mark with her fingers, "or whatever it is, and I can make my escape then and you won't be there to stop me. Beside, I do need some privacy if you catch my meaning." Silence ensued, he grew quiet in the patch of shadow, seeming to be pondering.

"I see your point there, but I can always knock you out before my hunt, which would only take about ten or fifteen minutes. And I can just step outside when you need you 'privacy.'" He smirked at the last word, eliciting another blush from her.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" she surrendered reluctantly, surreptitiously planning her escape from 'Mr. Insane'.

The boy looked askance at her, sensing her hiding something from him. He signed, "It's not like I want you to be miserable, but you'd get killed out there. You don't understand what you've gotten yourself into."

She shot a glare at him and stuck out her tongue as like a child. Her mother had always told her that she would never loose her childishness, for she was born that way that her stubbornness was like that of a 3-year-old. It was her personality that made her special in school; she was a fearless girl who stood up to bullies even if they held a knife at her throat. She was not easily defeated, her spirit was strong and she was enthusiastic as well as kind and brave. Xenia could be said as popular among most kids in school, she stood up for justice and put others before herself. Shrouded by her stubbornness and outgoingness, she often seemed more of a naïve, spoiled princess than a cunning heroine. But her mature side was there, even though it was hard to see. But this she did not know; she acted out of her heart most of the time, and had not thought much of the person she was. She never really understood who she was deep inside, but she didn't care, nor did she try to find her true self. This was her – a carefree soul, like the bird that soared free in the sky, with no worries in mind but joy. Now that she was trapped in the little hovel, where shadows dwelled and loneliness lurked, she was loosing her freedom and her usual liveliness. Could he not see that she was suffocating from the enclosed darkness? She wondered with discontent.

Silence ensued his last word, and she gawked at the dusty window, unsure what she was looking for. Now the atmosphere in the cottage was calm, her brain began to process and she began to absorb what he said. She was pretty sure that he was either playing with her or simply just crazy, but he definitely knew the way around. And he was right about the danger that the forest possessed: not the supposed-vampires, but the great chance of getting lost in the maze of green. Xenia knew there were other creatures that awaited her, she could be attacked by a bear, eaten by a tiger, or something else awful. A shudder ran through her body as the memory of the glowing red eyes flowed back into her mind. Stop it! She hissed in her mind. There's nothing like that in the woods, Xenia, you're going crazy.

She glanced at Dale, who stood in the shadow as still as if he was not there. Yup! That's probably what happened to 'Mr. I'm a vampire'! She thought with scorn. She was aware of her difficult situation, if she stormed off into the woods, she would most likely to meander off into jeopardy. If she wanted to get home alive, she had to get help from Dale, and that was going to take some serious effort. Perhaps she could trick him into telling her the way back, or convince him that he was not a vampire. Oh, how she wished she was a psychiatrist.

There was a gentle pressure down her abdomen, and she sighed – this was not a good time at all. In all the confusion, she had forgotten that she was still a living human, and that her body still functioned as usual. Lost in the forest and stuck with a psychopath, it was, much to her discomfort, inconvenient. This was going to be awkward, she thought with a roll of her eyes.

"I need to go," Xenia demanded. She turned her head to face where the boy was standing. The light in the cottage had increased as the sun rose higher, not by much however. But it was enough to allow her the sight of his incredulous expression. There was a hint of amusement or playfulness in his eyes.

"Where to? There's nowhere to go." He teased. Xenia felt instantly irritated, the heat rushing to her cheeks.

"As in I need 'to go', you know what I mean!"

"Oh, do I?"

Xenia rolled her eyes with annoyance, she fought down the urge to slap the jerk across the face.

"Yes you do. Now, I don't suppose that you have a restroom here somewhere?"

"If you're talking about flushable toilets, you're out of luck, but you can always find a cozy little spot behind the bush, I'm sure the animals would be glad to share their 'restrooms' with you." He laughed, his eyes twinkling in the shade. Her anger reached its zenith, and she jumped down from the bed and took a few steps forward toward where he was standing. She pulled back her hand in one swift movement and brought it forth and slapped him across the face. What surprised her was that he made no attempt to duck or catch her blow, he simply grinned as if it was but a tickle. She stared at him with both perplexity and fading rage. He lifted a hand and brushed his long fingers against her cheek, making her blush. She once again found herself caught in those deep pools of ocean blue, unable to break away, like a bird trapped in a snake's eyes. She fought the vacancy that spread inside her thoughts, knowing that she couldn't give in.

"You're cute when you're angry, has anyone ever told you that?" He said softly, his voice distant yet musical, and his eyes gentle and sincere. She shook her head involuntarily, the world melted around her, leaving only the death trap of those pure blue eyes. Then suddenly, those eyes disappeared before her, and reality shot into her senses, bringing forth dizziness along with it. She fell on her bottom, landing on the wooden ground with a soft thud. She shook her head and lowered her head in between her knees with a moan, hoping to be rid of the dizziness. A moment later, her head cleared and she remembered what had happened. Embarrassed, she could not keep herself from blushing, also partly because of the new wave of irritation she felt.

"You're so dead," she grunted as she pulled herself up from the dusty ground, careful to balance herself.

"If you dare do that to me again, I swear I'll -"

"You'll what? Slap me again? Beat me up? Report me to the police? Call 911? Sue me? Well aren't you the smart one!" He laughed, cutting her off, suddenly mocking again, his sincere look vanished without a trace. She gritted her teeth but suppressed her anger – why was she always getting pissed?

"You know, I really, truly hate you." She hissed. He only laughed, amused.

"For now perhaps, but I'm sure you'll grow fond of me. Now, since you have to go, I suggest that you leave. But remember, do not wander in the woods, it won't do you good."

Xenia looked askance at him. What made him change his mind? It seemed that he did respect her privacy after all, but she heard a hint of concern in his last sentence. She whirled around and pushed open the door, which swung outward with an ancient fatigue. She let the door to retreat back into its frame behind her, and took a few steps into the soft carpet of healthy green grass. Stretching with her arms over her head, she bent back a little to allow the golden light to pour onto her face. She heard her back popped as she bent back; she winced slightly and stretched further. All the time she spent in the small space of the hovel made her body stiff and cold, she welcomed the warm sunlight to caress every inch of her exposed skin. The sky was blue as ever, just like the day she and her friends set off for their hike in the national forest. It was hard to imagine, that under the same sun, the same sky, in the same forest, she was lost and scared while her friends were safe and protected from harm. This moment, her fear had dispersed from every corner of her heart, and she felt ancient with wisdom and knowledge of life and fate. She believed in herself, and she always would.

She let her arms drop to her sides and glanced at the wide ring of woods around her. Suddenly, she grew dubious of the forest. Something was quite different than the national forest she knew of, something had gone amiss. But what she did not know. She remembered the pair of glowing red eyes staring with venomous ferocity at her, pulling her into them, into their torturous intensity. Shuddering at the memory, she shook her head to clear her thoughts; it was but a bad dream, and she had to trust Dale to not hurt her. It was but a reflection of her own fear, she convinced herself, no matter how vivid it was, the boy was not the fiend in her dark dream. Xenia pushed all thoughts away and focused on exploring her new terrain. She padded into the woods to her left, carefully following what seemed like a trail that she spotted, where a thin strip of the earth was visible between bushed and trees.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Here, There be Vampires

As a vampire, he should be able to comprehend every single distinct emotion he felt, but starting from the moment he sensed her in his territory, his thoughts and feelings had became ambiguous. He never felt what he felt now, and he doubted that many vampires did before. Confusion washed over him again and again because he couldn't ignore the presence of the girl, nor not acknowledge the thoughts of her. He could still see her before his eyes now, her autumn – colored hair with a shimmer of gold, her bright green eyes with wary curiosity and calculating dexterity, her childish pouting, and the way she fought back the fear she felt as he threatened her. Dale didn't know what he was doing messing with the human girl, had she been another, he would probably had driven the intruder outside the boundary and let the others decide the human's fate. But this one was different, he sensed it the moment he felt her in the cottage. While he cursed himself for showing clemency for one of the kin he abhorred the most, he couldn't help but try to keep the girl from harm. He wanted her safe and out of the reach of those dark talons that belonged to his brother; if he ever found out about Xenia, he would've taken her just for his own delight. If that happened, Dale didn't know how he could live with himself and abide the fact that he failed to protect her.

He didn't plan on letting her out of his sight until just a moment ago. After all, she had to have some freedom; he realized that imprisoning her inside the tiny space, not mentioning dark as well, was a poison to her effervescence, and he could see that it was quickly extending deeper into her spirit, draining her of energy. She was growing ever so grumpy since the first day he met her, and even though she was but a mere human being, she managed to awe him slightly – if not a lot. He did not enjoy seeing her angry and sad, and so he let her out. He had seen the realization in her eyes as he spoke to her, and he doubted that she would take her chance against the forest on her own. Dale was confident that once she saw how dense the forest was, she would understand that there was no other way out if no guide was present to lead her. She was brave, yes, but she valued her life as well, and as clever as she was, she wouldn't risk her life if there was another chance that she could return home safely. And that chance was the dim hope that he had given her when he told her that he knew the ways around the forest. He smirked at the image now weaved itself in his mind, the image of Xenia kneeling down and kissing the ground before him to beg for his help. But then the girl was not likely to do that, in fact, he was sure it was impossible that she would do that – even if she had no alternatives. But he could only guess at how she would extract the information he held from him.

Then he reminisced back at the floral fragrance that rose meekly from her skin, the heat it carried; it was a pleasant sensation, the touch he shared with her, it was nothing like he ever felt before. She was so warm, so soft, and so fragile… he sighed dreamily. He recalled her face when he pulled away from her; her cheeks flushed rosaceous and her eyes were confused with rage and embarrassment. It was lovely, the way she blushed, but it was disappointing to see the anger in her eyes. He could have charmed her – even without his hypnotic magic – as he did all the other human girls; all the other human girls had been spellbound just at the sight of him, but she was not impressed by his breath-taking appearance, not even when he tried to enchant her was she woven into his spell completely. It was a shock, but as well an amusement. He would like to find out what made her so special compared to other humans – perhaps she was a powerful sorceress, just like his mother when she was still human.

Xenia stood up while pulling her panties and pants up. She loved the wild, but she was not at all used to relieving herself in the middle of nowhere. She stepped back onto the trail, wondering if she should go back to the little hovel, or continue her exploration of the mysterious forest. It felt strange in the forest, the feeling only grow stronger as she strayed further from Dale's clearing. It was an emerald green beauty, yes, yet something stirred the peace in the air, unease whirled around her. She once again remembered the terrifying blood-red eyes, staring at her with flaring menace, with a shudder. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see were the eyes of the fiend, she felt frightened a little by the forest, so vast and dense that she would never know if something lurked among the bushes waiting to ambush her. But her curiosity claimed victory against her blind fear, and she decide at last to follow the thin trail and see where it lead.

Scanning the bunch of green before her every so often, she meandered slowly, not knowing where she was going yet feeling as if she was the queen of the ancient forest. Exotic plants grew around her, she no longer saw familiar plant lives, but those she had never seen and did not think they existed. Eyes wide with anticipation, she knelt down before a flowering shrub, which caught her eyes with its flamboyantly colored flowers. Cautiously, she touched her finger tips to the soft pedals of the rose-shaped flowers, fearing that she would ruin the delicate beauty of the dainty plant. The flowers looked so much like roses, yet their smell was extraneous, and she had never seen or heard of roses adorned by multiple colors. On one flower, a rich, dark blue melted into sapphire blue, then into azure, slowly into the color of ice, and at last into pure white. Silver speckles lined the rims of the pedals, which had the smooth, elegant touch of a swan feather. The other flowers were all of different colors, after carefully examining them, she was certain that not one flower had the repeated look of the other. Each one was unique; one was stripped by twirling gold and black, another dotted by emerald green on the bright yellow pedals, and yet another was dyed by the colors of dawn.

She smiled genuinely, awed by the beauty of the exotic plants. But she was sure that no one had ever heard of or seen this species of plants, or if anyone did, they had not made any contribution to the world of science. If she was ever able to get back, maybe she could bring a sample back to her mother, and take the role of the honored girl who discovered a new species not know to men kind. But she couldn't help but suspect if men had ever stepped upon this land, for human had, for generations, roamed the world; nearly every corner of Earth had been investigated by scientists. But why not this one? Surely this must be part of the national forest, and must have been explored thoroughly, so why did this place seemed so alien to her? Now that she realized this, she took a look around her, taking in every little detail of her surrounding. She gasped with shock and puzzlement – these plants lives around her were something she had never seen before, and she was sure that they did not exist in her world. Perhaps this was a small corner on Earth that human had failed to acknowledge? But how could that be? She could hear the drumming of her heart as she began to grow uneasy and nervous. Was she even in her world anymore? If she wasn't in the human world anymore, where was she? Could Dale really be a vampire? She shook her head fearfully, trying to clear her thoughts and calm herself. Dazed and confused, perhaps also frightened, she ran along the narrow path, leading to the unknown. She wanted to be far away from here, away from the unfamiliar surroundings, and away from the boy who claimed to be a vampire. She stumbled again and again, tripped by the branches or roots that crawled on the narrow path. Again she fell and again she scrambled up and rushed forward, at the same time looking all around her to determine the best path she would take that might lead her back. She would find a way out, she decided with unswerving resolution, and she would do it on her own without any help.

Dale opened his eyes. Isolated in the little shack, he could not pick up her scent so well, but he felt that she was moving further away from his every single second. What was worse was the direction she was heading – toward her predators, her most dangerous enemies. He had no time to muse of why she would try to fight her own way through the forest of terror, surely she knew it was an impossible task to escape the forest? He had told her and she had seen it herself, yet she made another attempt to break free. Just hours ago, he still felt her close to the clearing, and her movement was slow and more of a meandering manner, but now she was speeding wildly away. He was confused, and more, he was absolutely horrified. Fear rose in him; he had never reacted toward anything this way before, not even when he was near the edge of death as a child; but now he tasted for the first time in his life dark, and genuine fear. He could not guess why she was suddenly behaving this way, but he had to go fetch her before the others could get to her.

He waited impatiently, bolts of apprehension and anxiety shot at him, panic stung him. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to rush out right this instance and stop her from falling into jeopardy. Yet while the sun was still up high in the firmament, he dared not expose himself to sunlight and be burned to ashes immediately. She was still far from the boundary of his domain by human standard, since they moved in such tarrying manner, so she might not cross the abutment before the sun descended. He still had a chance, it was only perhaps two or three hours before the darkness would strike, and once the last light disappeared from the horizon, he would set off for her. He closed his eyes again, trying to regain his calm, but all he saw beneath his eye lids was Xenia's cadaverous corpse, sucked dry of blood and drained of life.

Xenia fell to her knees, panting and gasping for air. After such long run, she felt better than before, her confused shock and anxiety had dispersed. And now she felt calm again. She remembered the fairy tales she read when she was little, and she remembered the fictional books she had read lately, and she felt more confident. She knew she was only trying to be rid of her insecurity by imagining herself as part of a fantasy, but as long as it gave her courage, she might as well continue to let her imagination take the situation. She was still unable to believe that she wasn't where she had thought she was anymore, her mind was still racing, and she wondered if she was trapped in a nightmare instead of reality.

She lay down on the small patch of grass under a tree, and stared up at the sky. She laughed at herself – there really wasn't any of the sky to be seen, all she could see was the thick canopy that shrouded the earth beneath her. It was the same everywhere in the forest, so dark and shadowy, beautiful and mighty at the same time sinister and formidable. She could imagine the sky above the trees; it must be dark now, the last light of the day was fading away, the forest grew sable and all around her, the size of the shadows seemed to increase. She had weaved her way between bushed and trees for too long, and she was exhausted, too tired to make any more progress toward her goal. To Xenia, all seemed hopeless and lost, but she ignored the thoughts of despair; she would go on no matter what, and nothing was going to stop her. But for now, she was fatigue and was in great need of rest; since she failed to find a cozy cave, or anywhere fit to be a shelter, and so she lay on her back under the dark shade of the tree. Quickly she began to drift into unconsciousness when terror struck her.

Xenia shot up straight and whipped her head around wildly with frenzy, trying to understand what had overshadowed her. Something was out there, hidden by bushed, shielded by trees, and masked by shadows. It was her instinct that told her of the danger near, but she had no sense of what it might be. Then she remembered her nightmare; the horror in the forest, a figure of shadow, twin of pure darkness, something that haunted all livings, that hunted her. The fear she felt was unspeakable, too immense that it crashed down on her courage, forcing it to sink. The last light of the day vanished, and the last strand of darkness settled into its spot. All around her, dark shapes became ominous, nourishing a growing ancient evil. The temperature dropped rapidly around her, as if an ice storm had just taken place. She let out the breath that she didn't realize she was holding, and curled into a ball, trying to keep her warmth while peering with frightened eyes at what might come next.

From among death, emerged a cloaked figure. It stood tall and straight, looming above her as it cast a web of awe and trepidation upon the dazed girl. She stared as the creature pulled back its hood to reveal an inhumanly beautiful face. She could not flee the maze that his eyes caught her in, nor could she move an inch. A small gasp escaped her mouth as he smiled down at her with all the charm in the entire world, his eyes twinkling as like silver starlight that grazed the earth. Yet there was something sinister about him, something unsettling that took the trust away from her. Xenia didn't like any bit of this, it was getting too weird, too complicated. He knelt down before her so that his face was at the same level as hers, and he lifted his hand from his velvet black cloak. Long fingers brushed against her jaw, and down to her neck, sending a chill down her spine. She tried to look away, to break the heavenly yet dreadful contact, but she could do neither.

"What's an attractive young girl such as yourself doing in the forest so late in the day?"

He asked, his voice musical as like the call of an angel. It was like a spell cast by an basilisk, perhaps stronger and softer, yet all the same luring her into its deadly scheme. She forced herself to think of something other than the beautiful stranger, and to her surprise, Dale's mocking face appeared in her mind, and a surge of strength rushed into her, cutting into the enchantment the stranger now had on her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, almost reluctantly to tear her gaze from the beautiful dark one. She inhaled again, more deeply and concentrated on the details on Dale's face, which was the only thing she could conjure up into her thoughts. His mocking smile flashed in her mind, as if daring her to accept the challenge she was forced to take. Just as she intended, his contemptuous attitude toward her lit the fire inside her. So he thinks I'm weak and dependent? Well, I'll show him what I can do!

She opened her eyes, meeting the stranger's with the will to resist his charm. As she search for words to speak, she kept the image the cocky boy in her mind, reminding herself that she was strong despite what he said. Then she found her voice.

"And what might my good lord be doing at this time?" She asked with conspicuously pretended courtesy. At the same time, Xenia pulled herself away from the cloaked man warily, standing up with carefully feigned ease.

The man looked at her with a smug smile. He looked perhaps in his thirties, or nearly forty, but she was sure that many teenage girls would be willing to lay with him. His charm and good look were irresistible, but she wasn't going to succumb to whatever he intended to do to her. He seemed, now, surprised and intrigued. She felt his confidence wavered, but only slightly. The man recovered from his confusion in a mere second, and resumed his poise. He took a step toward her, and she took a step back, fighting a shudder.

"Interesting… I remember, they giggled or gawked whenever I approached them, but you… you taste of fear and circumspect. Perhaps you know what I am? Did the banished prince tell you? Or is this your natural instinct?"

His good-natured smile widened into a mischievous grin, his upper lip pulled back to reveal – FANGS?! She gasped as the thought exploded in her head, stunned. Her astonishment overwhelmed her, paralyzing her, disabling her ability to think logically. Gapping in shock, she only barely remembered what Dale had told her. Only then did she slowly pieced the puzzles together; the strange unease the forest gave her, the feeling of having something stalking her, the exotic plants lives that existed here, the creature that Dale told her he was… She realized now of the trouble she bumped blindly into.

Oh no, oh God, what mess have I gotten myself into?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Bloodshed

Xenia stumbled backward, loosing her logic as her mind worked to absorb the realization. She was shocked and stunned. Is this really happening to me? She wondered with fright, wishing desperately that this was all but a nightmare that she had not yet woken from. A practical girl, that was what she had always been; to her, science fiction and fantasy were impossibility, existing only in dreams and imagination. But now, standing before her was a vampire, as real as her own existence. It was too much for her cope with, she was paralyzed and drowned in her thoughts, which raged and howled in the storm she found herself caught in. A cold laugh pulled her back into the present. The vampire took a step toward her, his gaze was locked on her with dark intensity.

"The poor little thing," he snarled with menacing excitement.

"Your heart flutters like that of a helpless bird, your breaths are shallow and quick, I can taste your confusion and fear. Not what I expected from a young human girl, after all, I'd never met any resistance from those I drank from before… but this is much more entertaining than the old times… more stimulating, thrilling."

He advanced slowly. Xenia took a step back and felt her back bumped into a tree trunk. Abandoning her struggle between reality and myth, she became alarmingly aware of the peril she was entangled in. She wanted to run away from the vampire, from her death, but she knew it wouldn't be any use since he would most likely be able to catch her before she'd taken her first step. If vampires were really as people described them in the books she'd read before, she was certain that she had no chance of surviving this unless the vampire decided to spare her life. But by the hungry look the vampire wore, she knew that he would never consider the option of letting her go. Xenia could see herself, cadaverous and cold, lying on the forest floor, her body shriveled, drained of life and blood. Fate had led her into the grasp of lonely death; she would die here among the gruesome woods, her corpse deserted for none to find but some wild beasts, her name not to be mentioned again except by the few that would remember her decades later. She would disappear without a trace, leaving those who loved her to forever wonder on the misfortune that befell her. This wasn't what she wanted, she wanted to live.

The vampire took one more step. Xenia tensed, her fingers clutching at the bark of the tree behind her and her mind racing to convince her that there was a way to escape death. He took another step, his eyes bored deeply into hers while his nose was barely an inch from her forehead. It was now that she realized how tall he was, and it made her feel even smaller than she felt before. He cast a shadow upon her, blocking not only the milky moonlight, but also the sparks of hope and courage from her.

"What a pity, such a pretty little thing like you, the King would have wanted to keep you as a pet," he hissed with a grin that bared his fangs to gleam viciously. He reached up to caress her cheek; she shivered at the cold touch, her blood turning cold as like her heart. A decision formed in her head as she fought to disperse her fear.

"I would've given you to him, I would be rewarded fairly. But it's been too long since I had it fresh…"

He brushed away her hair to expose the pale skin of her neck, then he lowered his head…

"Well, I'm not going down without a fight." Xenia shouted and punched him with maximum strength, throwing herself at him without considering the consequences; she was hurling behind her all the rational thoughts as she thrashed and kicked savagely at the vampire.

Shock was obvious on his face, in his eyes she glimpsed disbelief. Xenia ignored his reaction and focused only on kicking him harder. The vampire did not try to block her blows, nor did he bulge an inch, he stood firm and tall, seeming not at all bothered by her furious attack. Frustrated and awed, she struck again with what strength she could conjure. Before her fist even grazed the fabric of his cloak, he caught her arm; that moment, she was drawn into abeyance as their eyes met and locked. She saw a mixture of contempt and faint admiration in his wry smirk; his grip on her arm tightened, she felt his fingers crushing her bones. She cried out in pain, in her mind she could almost see the shattered fragments of the bones stabbing into her flesh. Suddenly, she felt herself being hauled through the air like a rag doll. She crashed through numerous shadows, shrieking in panic, twigs and branches scarped her face and arms. Then there came the collision; Xenia smashed into something solid. Her right shoulder absorbed the immense impact at the same time she heard something cracked. Pain exploded that very instance and she screamed. Falling to the ground and still screaming, the girl held her shoulder instinctively as if to ease the excruciating agony. Tears formed in her eyes, but she held them back; summoning her courage, she bit her lips to cease her screaming. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her suffer, he would not see her harrowed by the torment he coerced upon her. She knew she would die, but she would die proud with dignity.

A pair of booted feet appeared on the earth before her, and there came an amused, cruel laugh. It made her blood run cold; full of hatred for the vampire, she gave a war cry and pushed herself up, pain seared in her shoulder, spreading into her chest and arm. But she ignored it; in one swift movement, she lunged at the dark figure above her only to be knocked down on the ground. She lay on her back, panting. Unwilling to yield her life to him so easily, she made another attempt to get back on her feet, but before she could even manage to sit up, her body was smashed onto the ground. An intense pressure weighed down upon her lower chest. Gasping for air through pain, she saw through her bleary eyes his dark eyes glaring down at her with triumph. He grinned with wicked playfulness and stepped down atrociously.

Pain burst out in her chest; she heard a shrill scream, a scream that pierced the silence of the night and drilled into the souls of those beings who heard. It was her own scream, this she knew, and she felt hot tears sliding down her face. Consumed by extreme agony, she had reached the acme of endurance and could no longer hold back her scream and tears. Pangs of frustration stabbed at her as they entered her consciousness, and it hurt more than her physical pains. Completely immersed in pain, she began to loose her connection to the world around her. She was barely able to think, the only thing she knew was perpetual ordeal of pain. Still from a small part of her that was still aware of what was happening, she could feel the regrets she held for not being able to keep the agony at bay. Shadows drifted into her vision, even the darkness grew hazy, and she could feel herself being pulled into death. She let a faint smile slip onto her lips as myriad fragments of memories played before her eyes. She thought of her family, her friends, the favorite food, the books she read, the places she had been to before, things she had said before, things others said to her before, her dreams…

There between death and life, the last image she saw was that of the strange boy she came to meet in the little cottage. Then there was nothing.

A scream shattered the illusion of peace cast upon the forest; this was a scream that etched deeply into his memory, one that he would never forget. Dale snarled with rage and fear – the vampire must be hurting her, and bad. He smelled the blood before he saw it; he emerged from the thick shadow and shot into a tiny area clear of tree and shrubs. There he found his nightmare – Xenia writhed on the ground, her screams quickly becoming faint, and eventually subsided to shallow gasps for air. The vampire laughed, too occupied with his prey that he failed to notice Dale's presence. Animus and mindless rage overwhelmed him, without a thought, he shot forward. The vampire looked up in alarm when he sensed the sudden danger, and saw Dale. Apprehension broke onto his face, and the vampire dodged to one side. But Dale was quicker, his fist slammed into the other vampire's chest, and he watched with cold hatred as the older vampire crashed into a tree. The ancient tree, even with its trunk so thick, gave a great shudder before falling onto the cushion of the smaller trees below.

"How dare you cross the boundary? And you dared to touch what is my?" Dale growled through clenched teeth, trying his best to keep himself from giving over to the bestial rage. He wanted nothing more than to tear the vampire to pieces and tend to Xenia's injuries, but this was a cunning enemy, one of the few he had to pay heed to when engaged in a battle.

The enemy vampire spat out blood of silver as he recovered his ground, and laughed.

"I see you're still as strong and quick as you were years ago; I dare say that your strength has grown over the years, your Highness." Sarcasm brushed across the lips of the vampire, Dale growled at the use of his lost title. Even though the vampire was grinning mockingly, Dale could tell by the wariness in his eyes that the older vampire still feared him as like most others.

"And you, Akzorr, have not grown any weaker since I last encountered you."

"You remember me?" Surprise shone on Akzorr's face, but dispersed as soon as it came.

"How can I not? You were the best of the royal guards, and had done much for my father. But you were also the one to betray him and me myself. I never imagined that you'd been working for Darren all along…" His words trailed off in a venomous hiss.

"So you knew? I thought you were clueless of my part in the conspiracy… never mind that, you'll live still in banishment, never to return to your throne. The truth will eventually be defunct as like you will. By the way, your human pet put on quite an interesting fight, though sadly short. Did you train her to be like this?" he laughed sardonically. Dale flinched at the word; fight? Did he hear right?

In his heart, Dale felt an alien admiration for the human girl that he had thought to be useless and wimpy. He felt also the rising of his hatred and fury at how the vampire taunted Xenia. Out of the corner of his eyes, he glimpsed her broken body, the image woke finally the last of his dormant animosity. Rancor flooded into him and washed away his control. Howling, he dashed forward, his fangs bared and dark claws ripped through the skin on his fingertips, extending to full length and viciously sharp. Akzorr took his own fighting stance, his fangs bared and his claws grew long as like Dale's. With a ferocious cry, Dale lashed out at the other vampire. Akzorr jumped back with each advance and strike that Dale made. Dale slashed at him with savage madness, overwhelmed by wild rage and hatred. Too focused on the offensive factor, he left an opening to his left, unaware that he'd exposed his weakness to his opponent. A devilish grin spread across Akzorr's face; he bent down a little to avoid Dale's claws while his arm shot straight out from his side and aimed for Dale's heart. The younger vampire grunted in surprise and leaped back just when Akzorr's claws had tore his shirt.

"Your reflex is as good as always, I must say." Akzorr hissed, wasting no time to allow Dale to catch his breath. He made a dash toward Dale and took the offensive role, lashing out at him with brutal claws, seizing every chance he could to sink his fangs into Dale's flesh. The boy dodged nimbly, his body shifting from left to right with graceful agility to avoid every single blow or snap directed at him. The older vampire snarled testily with frustration; his claws were always barely an inch from Dale's flesh, yet never even achieving the slightest brush. Dale calmed himself a little vindictive rage as he dodged the other vampire's attacks; he knew he needed to concentrate on his fighting strategy, not thinking of revenge.

This vampire who he now faced was no ordinary vampire, but a formidable enemy, one of the best fighters after Darren and himself; not only that, Akzorr had roamed the world longer than he had and had been in numerous battles before he was born, and so Akzorr had an advantage over him with his experience. Yet, Dale was no mere vampire; he was young, yes, but he was born endowed with great gifts. Observing Akzorr's frustration and aggressiveness, Dale spotted his weakness; he who had entered his territory without much fear, he who dared challenging him without more than a wince of terror, this vampire was too full of himself. Dale smiled with contempt, he knew how to deal with this kind of individuals all too well. The younger vampire feigned his fatigue, slowing his movements enough so that his enemy's claw nicked his skin, in his eyes he let affected fear gleam.

"Getting tired?" Akzorr laughed haughtily, his eyes now triumphantly fierce with excitement.

Dale tipped backward to his right to evade the other vampire's attempt for a bash. Then he made a desperate snatch at Akzorr's throat. Akzorr raised an arm to fend off his outstretched claws as he struck at the opening that Dale meant for him to notice. Never did Akzorr think that Dale's attack toward his throat was but a feint; his lifted arm exposed his weak spot, and before the tip of his claws even came in contact with Dale's skin, the younger vampire dodged to one side and seized his neck before he could react to what had just happened. Leaving no chance for the vampire to recover his wit, Dale tightened his grip, his claws ripped Akzorr's skin and dug deep into his flesh; at the same time, his other hand shot out from his side and plunged into Akzorr's chest claws first, piercing the older vampire's heart, and out of his back Dale's claws came, covered in silver blood. He stared into Akzorr's eyes with wintry fire, and he saw hatred of defeat. Then his eyes dulled, and his body slumped and his head sagged, though he still carried the fierce look upon his face that chilled even Dale's blood. He gave a sharp sneer and yanked his arm from the dead body. He released his grip on Akzorr's neck and threw him on the ground without more than a cold glare. His claws retracted into his flesh and his fangs grew to their small, normal size. The small cuts on his body began to heal themselves so quickly that they vanished without a trace.

Xenia groaned behind him, his attention snapped suddenly to her, and he rushed to her dying form on the ground. Sorrow and fear stung him like millions of needles as he saw her severe injuries. Blood stained her dirty white shirt, still pouring out from her shoulder. The clothe was ripped there, and he could see her raw skin. To his horror, he saw milk-white bone protruding from her flesh; her right humerus was obviously separated from her scapula, and penetrated her skin due to some immense impact. With trembling hand, he gently examined her body to find the bone of her upper right arm shattered, and many of her lower ribs broken. She had scratches and bruises all over her body, but otherwise, he found that her internal organs were miraculously not damaged. Almost whimpering, he struggled to think of a way to fix her injuries.

"You're going to be fine," he whispered softly into her ear, but she did not stir.

Blood maculated his pale skin, but he didn't even notice the smell of human blood, nor did he feel his hunger and craving, his heart and mind was both full of only worries and fear for the human girl. Closing his eyes, he searched in his mind a memory, perhaps, that could be a help. Suddenly, he remembered; his mother had suffered from this type of injury once, and was saved by his father. His mother had told him of the story many times before, for that was how they fell in love and found the missing piece of their lives. Sighing with both relief and nervousness, he let his fangs slip into their long, razor sharp form, and held his forearm to them. He sank his fangs deep into his own flesh, and pulled his arm sideway with great force. The alluvion of silver blood flowed freely out of the gash on his arm, and he held his arm over her right shoulder, where fresh blood gushed onto the ground. His blood mixed with hers, and quickly disappeared into her wound; her bleeding slowed immediately, and soon came to a stop. Allowing a small smile, he slipped his good arm under her and held her up, leaning her head against his shoulder and her body against his. He held the laceration on his arm to her slightly opened mouth, tipping back her head, and let his blood flow down her throat.

"You'll be okay soon," he whispered, "you're safe with me."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Spy

A raven perched high on the thick branch of the ancient tree that loomed over the vampire and the girl. Shrouded by the darkness, she watched with her round, amethyst bird eyes, debating whether she should now fly back to the report to her King, or stay a little longer just to find out if the girl would live. She pitied the girl, for she herself would not have been so courageous to stand against a vampire – not in her human form, and definitely not in her avian form. Cocking her head to one side, she watched as Dale held the gash on his arm to the human girl's lips. There was such intense concern and love in his eyes that it made her heart bleed; the vampire she loved had barely glanced at her twice a day, and had never looked at her in such affectionate way. She was but another pawn in his game, the game that he was bound to win. This was a dangerous game that the King was playing, and she wished that her King would not engage himself in such dark deed, but there was no way to stop him despite how much she loved him. And it was because she loved him that she sacrificed everything to be close to him, even though she was giving up her dreams only to become a spy of his. She was not at all here by her own will, but by his.

Deciding that it was time to return to the Keep, Isavora extended her sable wings and took off to the silent dome, adorned by myriad of stars dancing gently, twinkling with each twirl they made. She melted into the velvet night, her black feathers became one with the sky, and she rode with the wind. Her pain and sorrow was gradually alleviated, if not from her whole being, at least from her mind for the moment. Flying, that was the only thing that comforted her, the only thing that could remind her of the joy she used to possess before she met her beautiful King, her Lord. The sky of freedom, it took away the burden of love that she carried, and lifted her gloom. She flew, her spirit free and her mind and heart at peace. But she knew this wouldn't last, for the King was waiting, and she did not intend to displease him. Flapping her wings hard now, the raven shot through the night in the direction of the Vampirovia Keep.

A drop of silver blood quietly slid from the corner of her mouth to her chin; he wiped it away with a gentle thumb and laid her down with great care. Tilting his head slightly to the night sky, he sniffed, but could not smell the scents of other vampires through the thick odor of Xenia's and Akzorr's blood. They were all careful to hide their scents from him, but he knew they were out there, lusting for blood and lingering near the border. But he knew none were advancing, for they feared him too much to cross into his territory, especially since their co-captain was just killed. He snorted; let that be a warning for all of them, to elicit their oldest memories of him, which were composed of fear and respect. Still he could not unload the worries upon his heart, for these royal guards were among the bests in the kingdom. If they were to gang up on him, and with fear for Xenia's life to aggravate him, he would have a slime chance. These were cunning enemies he was facing, one on one he could win the battle, but otherwise, it would be a nightmare. Even though he doubted that they would come at him together, for vampires were solitary and normally preferred to be alone, he decide that it was best if he could move her back to the cottage, the center of his territory. That he would do, but not until she was well enough to be moved.

For the next few hours, he sat beside her unconscious form, his body as tense and still as a statue. He was searching for the presence of enemy vampires, but detected none. All was still and calm, nothing but the rustling of leaves as the night breeze whispered sleepily into the canopy. The illusion of peace belied the danger and unease swirling around Dale, but he knew that despite how safe it seemed, anything could happen unexpectedly. And if he let down his guard, it would be the death of her. He did, however, turn to look down at Xenia constantly, smiling involuntarily every time she let out a sigh in her dream. She was healing, he concluded by her now-steady heartbeat and breathing. On her right shoulder, the bone pale as the moonlight had resumed its naturally position, and the ripped skin now began to reach adhesion. He reached down and laid his palm on her lower chest. With each fall and rise of her chest, he felt the broken rib bones slowly connecting, the fractures were closing. He moved his hand to her right arm and pressed as lightly as he could to feel the shattered bone. Some shattered pieces had joined themselves, and the tissues that were damages by the sharp fragments of her bone were also healing.

He sighed with relief, and suddenly chuckled. Who knew that a vampire could be such a good doctor, able to cure a near-dead patient within a few hours? But then she was human, and the vampire's sensitive fingers and ears would know the rush of her blood, every little small contraction her muscles made. If he was touching another vampire, he couldn't possibly even know what misfortune had befallen his body. At the thought, he remembered the blood giving, and chuckled again. And who would possibly think that drinking vampire blood would heal a human? He thought, amused. It seemed strange now that human was hunted by vampires instead of the other way around.

"Humans," he snarled with a sudden flare of anger. To him, they were just pathetic and artful creatures, living on other innocent beings that had no conflicts with them. It had always been this way; humans, throughout the history, had slain dragons for their treasures, murdered unicorns for their horns, hunted noble animals for their furs, and so much more. Human hunted the vampire kin as well, for it was their survival that was important, that Dale could comprehend. But the human that killed his mother was none other than her own brother. Blood, they were of the same blood, and came from the same parents. Yet her brother killed her because she was turned into a vampire, even though she never even fed upon the human kind. Dale still remembered clearly, there was not a single trace of clemency in his uncle's eyes when he murmured the spell; he did not flinch when the magic struck his sister, did not show regret. Dale could only watch helplessly, he himself bound by powerful magic, as his uncle sent his mother to her death.

There was nothing more painful than to watch the ones you love die, you yourself capable of doing nothing to protect them. He wanted nothing more than to kill his uncle, and all those human he would come to meet in the future, he had thought to swear to his mother that he would annihilate any human who came his way, that he would avenge her. But she had made him promise instead that he would never harm another human, that he would not feed from human. She brought no hatred when her spirit departed, she carried with her peace and love. He could never understand why she wished no harm to come to her murderer, for even though they were blood siblings, his uncle had killed her without hesitation. But she never blamed her brother, never returned his animosity toward her. It was something Dale could not understand, and thought that he would wonder on her calm death for the rest of his life.

He looked down at Xenia again, and sighed. His feeling toward the human race was the same, but he recovered something he had lost a long time ago the moment she came to him. Something was stirring inside him, changing him, renewing him, and it felt wonderful. The magic of some sort seemed to be emanating from her being, every laugh and every smile charmed him. The energy effusing from her was influencing him as well, in an unknown way that he could not describe. He liked the feeling, and he would never want to lose it. Dawn was waking, her lovely fingers brushing the horizon with a gentle swept. Dale slipped his arms under the human girl and picked her up quickly with ease, though cautious not to cause pain. He moved swiftly under the thick shade of the canopy of the ancient trees, which would shield him later from the intense sunlight that would strike where the ground was bare. He set her down and sat beside her.

Then he smelled him. Instantly his body tensed with unease and alarm, his posture switched to hostile from partly relaxed. Ivan emerged from the thick wood on the other side of the small open area that the fight had took place. He was a friend, Dale knew of course, yet Ivan fed from human, and he could lose control anytime. Ivan had seen the sudden emergence of aggression and stayed where he was, in the shadow.

"You care very much for her, it would seem so." Ivan said quietly, his emotion concealed still as like always.

"I apologize for my behavior, but I must ensure that she is safe from any harm." Dale replied, his voice meek.

"So why are you here, it's almost sunrise?" Dale asked.

"I smelled blood. I just wanted to see for myself," Ivan glanced swiftly at the dead vampire lying on the forest floor, his gaze shifted back to Dale in a second. "Akzorr was a reckless one, Dale. I never approved him as our captain, yet I regret the loss of such an elite. Still, I am glad you're able to protect what you believe is valuable to you, and now there's one less powerful enemy to fight when you decide to take back the throne."

"I doubt I'll try, I haven't a chance. Beside, what difference does it make? Nothing would change." He looked down at his sleeping companion with tenderness, his muscles unwound and his hostility melted away. Ivan observed the growing affection in Dale's eyes as he lifted a hand to touch her cheek. It was a beautiful moment, and he could not hold back a smile, intoxicated by the intense love that Dale was showing toward her. He was certain that Dale had not realized how desperately he was in love with Xenia, but decided to let him sort out his feeling his own way.

"I would never expect you to say such thing just a few days ago. The girl's changed you. But perhaps it is a good thing."

There was a period of silence, bother vampires drowned in their own thoughts. Dale was surprised at Ivan's comment, and he knew that he was telling the truth; Xenia had changed him, he knew, but what shocked him was that he no longer had the thoughts of vengeance, nor did he care that he was banished and shunned, he only wanted to see her well, to be with her. Finally, it was Ivan who eventually broke the silence.

"It might make a difference," said Ivan, his expression now grim. "Your brother has been… cagey lately. He is up to something, planning something. It's nothing good, I'm sure. I sense danger coming to the realm of Vampiria, Dale, something is going to happen."

Dale shrugged in response, pondering on the message Ivan was trying to convey with the warning. He'd learned long ago not to ignore a single word Ivan said. Ivan had conciliated his trust and respect with his accurate predictions and many times before. He looked down once more at Xenia, his fingers still lingering upon her soft flesh. How he loved the warm touch, he savored it while it would last and pulled his hand away. He knew that she would never let him touch her like that if she was conscious, and despite how desperately he longed for her warmth vehemently, he respected her and felt wrong to take advantage of her while she was still unconscious.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think that I might go now. I came at dawn because I would have a lesser chance of being noticed by the others, imagine the suspicion they would have toward me if they find me here safe and unharmed. I fear that I would not get back in time, the sun would be too intense for traveling soon, I must go back while there are still shadows and shades for me to hide in." said Ivan, glancing up at the sun with squinting eyes. Dale turned his attention back to his friend, hesitating before he spoke.

"Would you stay? We never had enough time to exchange our stories these past twenty years. Beside, I would like to go on a search for water and food, she would be hungry when she wakes up. I need someone to watch her when I'm gone." He observed with confusion the way Ivan's eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze to the girl.

"I smell her blood even now," Ivan said, and Dale felt himself tensed again. "but I see no wound, not a single scratch. Is it… magic?"

His face was guarded as he spoke, and so Dale could tell the unease and mistrust flowing through Ivan's body. Ivan didn't like magic, Dale knew – no vampires like it; magic was the only thing that could kill a vampire aside from the touch of sunlight and another vampire. Chuckling nervously, he explained.

"She doesn't know how to use magic, she didn't even believe in vampires when I met her. Not magic, it's my blood that is healing her."

Ivan's eyes widened with disbelief and curiosity, and the cocky vampire chuckled again; his friend Ivan, like other vampire, knew nothing about the discovery that his father made when he tried to save the girl that became his wife afterward.

"Beside, magic flows thick around me but you befriended me, even now you're a dear friend to me, so why fear the magic she might possess?"

"She might have used it against me if we were engaged in battle, but you're different because you're my friend. I suppose she would pose no threat for me even if she did have magic, still, I have a hard time trusting humans, and you must forgive me for that."

"She is the only one I trust," Dale said, gritting his teeth as he remembered the death of his mother. "You shouldn't trust a human, but I trust her."

Ivan nodded, and treaded silently on the shadowed rim of woods that surrounded the area of open space where sunlight struck softly. He circled his way to Dale and settled down a feet from the sleeping human. Dale understood that he was being cautious to not make Dale nervous when he chose not to sit close to Xenia. Smiling, he extricated his worries and took off into the thick shadows cast by the dense canopies high above.

She left the light-zone as the sun had just begun to surface above the horizon lined by canopies of the forest. As she entered the demesne of the vampires, light faded and was replaced by utter obscurity. Dark clouds covered the sky, leaving not a single patch of blue among it. She hated this place so, for eons it was shrouded by gloom and shade of dark grey. The vampires certainly enjoyed it, but she felt only frail as if her life was being drained. Yet she stayed, for him. She flapped her sable wings harder, beating at the air to accelerate her speed. Despite her exhaustion, she flew on, wanting to return to him as soon as possible; it always felt safe to be around him, even though he loved her not. The shapeshifter began to drop altitude as the Keep came into her sight. She lowered herself in the air until she was at the same level as the windows of the study chamber. The study chamber was located on the upper most part of the tower that stood in the center of the Keep, it was also the tallest architecture among the others that gathered to form the Keep.

She shot through the air and glided into the great window facing north, the only one opened for her entrance. As the dim light in the chamber fell upon her feathers, she folded her wings and landed on the marble floor. The moment her claws clicked on the marble, her body shimmered with golden light as it stretched from the shape of a raven into a human. There before his desk Isavora stood, tall and slender with an airy elegance about her. Her look was especially remarkable compared to those female vampires, but she was almost as beautiful as some of them and definitely close to a goddess among humans. She had long, raven-black hair that fell to her waist like a dark waterfall, and eyes of soft lavender. Her thin lips on her heart-shaped face was pulled into a gentle smile as she saw her Master sitting at his ivory desk. But she quickly concealed her joy at seeing him, though she was sure that he caught her smile. She bowed low before him, her glossy dark hair fell over her shoulders like silk when she lowered her head.

"What news have you brought me about the girl?" He asked from his desk. The next moment she found a pair of leather-booted feet on the ground inches before her. She straightened up and looked into his ruby eyes. Yes, they were eyes of a fiend, but she loved them with all her heart.

"The girl seemed to have realized that she's not in her world anymore. She ran away and came close to leaving your brother's territory. But she was attacked by the captain of the royal guards when night fell. She fought him but did not prevail, but instead was injured seriously. Dale came to her rescue in time and killed the captain… he… healed her,"

The Vampire Lord seemed surprised at the information, his eyes gleaming with dark excitement, calculating. She feared for the girl, for she wanted her to be safe even though she knew her not. Isavora had always a tender heart and a kind soul, even though now she lingered around the ruthless Vampire Lord, she remained gentle as like a dove. She shuddered at the thought of Xenia's death, at the vivid image in her mind of the cruel King manipulating her to do what he wished. Isavora had wanted many times to fly away from his sinister plot, for she knew it would involve many deaths and result in tragedy and calamity for every soul in the five realms. But she couldn't walk away from him, and she condoled for the death of her bravery and abhorred her weak will.

"Just the perfect girl; ardent, courageous, vivacious, and clever. She must be the one then, I am most certain." He said, grinning darkly as he circled her slowly.

"Lord Darren… perhaps you should not…" She sighed, her voice small and trembling.  
"I won't stop at anything, dear Isavora," he hissed, and she felt his fangs against her neck. She could hear her own pulse, drumming hard into her ears.

"I will have her." The King kissed her neck and vanished from the room, leaving the great metal door to slowly swing shut. And she stood there, apprehension rushed through her body.

**Author's note: Sorry that I haven't updated for, like, ever. But here it is and it's longer than the other chapters!!!!!! Thank you guys for reading and reviewing, the next chapter's coming up soon (at least I hope). Hugs and kisses for you all, thank you!!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – New Ally

Xenia felt the warmth of the sun crawling on her skin, sending a tingling sensation through her body. Slowly, she opened her eyes to the soft morning light streaming down from the small gaps among the numerous leaves above her. The shimmering mist that lingered among the emerald greens gave the trees an amorphous appearance.

"I'm dead…" she murmured to herself. She must be dead – the vampire must had sucked her dry. She tried to move, but her body ended up twitching by the effort she made. Fatigue enfeebled her, she felt numb and heavy. Then she began to acknowledge the dull pain. It was not the searing pain she remembered from the confrontation with the vampire, it was a vernal pain as like under the pressure of a gentle weight.

"Am I dead?" she wondered out loud, wishing for an answer.

"You're alive." Said a voice, deep and seductive yet full of ennui.

She laughed, her senses drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"I'm alive…" she echoed the voice, finding it funny as she chuckled to herself softly. Then her wit jerked back into place abruptly and she gasped. Suddenly cognizant of another's presence, she shot straight up, startled, whipping her head to the direction of the voice so hard that she almost broke her neck. Pain did not ignite with her movement as she expected, but it burned with more intensity.

There sat a man under the shade that the trees provided. He sat cross-legged, facing a little away from her so that she could still see his face. He had dark hair that fell to the nape of his neck; his angular feature similar to Dale's but sturdier and broader than him. The man, or rather, the boy was about the same age as Dale, but she sensed the ambiance of mellowness about him and tasted the ancient wisdom that seemed to seep out from his being. Compared to Dale, who she saw as an annoying, cocky, and trouble-making jerk, the boy before her now seemed much, much older. The stranger was not looking at her, his eyes were half closed and focused on the ground before him. She couldn't help but gawk at the beautiful being that sat a little away from where she was, enchanted by his extraneous beauty. Stupid, stupid girl… she cursed, trying to remind herself that he might be a threat to her life. Xenia gritted her teeth and concentrated to free her body from its rigid state. She dared not take her eyes off him as she balled her hand into fists, her muscles tensed, preparing for a possible fight at the same time trying to push back waves of admiration that rushed over her at the sight of him. She almost laughed when she noticed the absence of fear. After the previous lethal encounter with a vampire that tried to kill her, she was prepared to die.

"You are also a vampire aren't you?" she glowered and asked with strained voice.

"Yes, but I have no intention of hurting you. I am Ivan, and Dale is a close friend of my, he asked me to watch over you while he's gone searching for food and water to aid your recovery." He said, his voice velvet rich but emotionless. She was almost charmed by his voice, but fought back the urge to surrender to his seduction. In fact, she realized as she observed him carefully, that he was not at all trying to dazzle her like Dale did. It was easy to see from the way he held his gaze down and avoided eye contact with her. He wasn't trying to do anything, or else she would be already at his knees begging him to sink his fangs into her neck. Gosh, stupid vampire charisma! She rolled her eyes with the thought, letting out an annoyed sigh. Still she wasn't ready to let her guard down, she learned now not to give her trust to a stranger so easily, especially not a vampire. He seemed to have sensed her doubt and mistrust.

"Trust me or not to trust me, you will have to choose. But no matter what you think, you will have no danger from me. But if you try to run, I'll have no option but to be rude. Dale wouldn't want to see you running away from him again."

Xenia shrugged and relaxed a little. If the vampire was up to anything, he was not being conspicuous; it seemed that she was safe from him. Still she decided not to fully trust him, after all, he could be playing with her just for his own amusement. Then it struck her; she had been so occupied with Ivan that she forgot her puzzlement over how she was still alive. It was then that the feeling hit her. It was fear. When she was confronting the previous vampire and Ivan, she fought mindlessly, no longer caring about her own life. But now that she was safe from harm, she shuddered at the memory, for she had come so close to death and it chilled her to the bones. Now that she thought back at the confrontations with both vampires, she could not help but tremble from the fear that was too slow to come. Xenia hesitated before asking the question.

"Care to tell me how I'm still talking to you now? And how am I not hurt? How long have I been asleep?" she asked.

"I don't know the details, but Dale saved you from Akzorr. You've been out for just a whole night, and I think you should ask Dale how you're not hurt at all."

"Wait, I've been out for just a night? And who the hell is Akzorr?" she tilted her head to one side, her eyes widened with shock and disbelief while her brain processing to absorb the information.

"Akzorr is the captain of the royal guards and the one who attacked you. As I said, you should ask Dale the details, he hasn't told me the story yet."

"Did you just say guards?" Xenia tensed at his words, scanning her surrounding with wide eyes.

"It's morning, they won't risk coming out. Even at night they dare not come near, they fear Dale far too much to encroach. Have not fear."

She relaxed with a sigh, her eyes flashing back to him, curious and suspicious.

"They fear him…" She exclaimed, hoping that he wasn't some kind of power-crazy wanted murderer in this land.

"Why?"

"Well," he said quietly, closing his eyes.

"There are only a few things that can kill a vampire – sunlight, another vampire, and magic. And Dale is born with magic," he held up a finger to stop Xenia from interrupting. She closed her mouth reluctantly, holding back the numerous questions. He continued.

"His mother was a powerful human sorceress, perhaps one of the few legendary figures to ever exist in human history of magic."

"Oh, just great – yesterday there were vampires, and today there's magic! What's next? The end of the world?"

Ivan scowled, she thought she saw, but the expression came as quick as it went and she found no trace of annoyance on his face.

"She became pregnant with them before she was turned, and so he… somehow inherited her magic, and I'm not sure that 'inherit' would be the word for it. It's a mystery that his brother shows no sign that he possesses magic ability."

Xenia frowned, "Them? His brother?"

Ivan shook his head regretfully, "I've said too much. It's his story to tell, not my. If you wish to hear the full story, ask him to tell you. But don't expect him to, he has a… heartbreaking past… it upsets him to talk about it."

She pouted with disappointment, but said no more, instead beginning to cogitate about Dale. She thought of the things that she learned about him these few days, and perhaps she was wrong about him somehow; he, to her surprise, was the one to save her life. She didn't understand why he would bother, why he cared… maybe there was something there she didn't see before, maybe what she saw wasn't really him but a shell. Those who had a sorrowful past or a miserable life often acted normal and optimistic around others, they became a completely different person when with those who knew not their dark past and life, they tried to alter the reality, to transform themselves. She knew because she had a friend like that. And Xenia never learned about the truth about her friend until it was too late. She shook her head vigorously, tears welling in her eyes as she recalled the death of her; she had never been able to forget the guilt she felt when her friend died, she loathed herself for not being able to help, for not able to find out the truth earlier… The death of her friend cast an enormous shadow over her, a shadow she had long been trying to ignore, to escape from.

"Dale… he's really intrigued by you." A voice disturbed her thoughts, pulling her back to the present.

"Huh?"

"Haven't you noticed?"

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she fought the blush. She didn't know why her heart began to flutter at his words, her own feelings toward Dale were still ambiguous and she didn't dare to explore them, refusing to allow herself to be entangled in a new conundrum.

"You seem quite comfortable around a vampire." He commented with a hint of admiration. She shrugged, suddenly remembering what the nature of the being she was talking to was. It scared her to realize that she was quite herself before both Dale and Ivan, the vampires. It was strange really, this was a mistake, for she was violating the law of nature by contradicting her natural instinct. A human who was conscious of a vampire's present should have felt extreme fear, not the feeling that she had. Irritated by her lack of fear and qualm around Dale and Ivan, she wanted to hit herself in the head to wake her dormant instinct.

"Yeah, well, you are his friend and all." She said, rolling her eyes again.

"There's no proof, how do you know if I'm lying or not?"

"Okay – enough with the freakin' questions, jeez, you vampires are all alike, you're really getting on my nerve. Oh yeah, I just remembered, I have a whole bunch of questions for you, so what -" She shut her mouth as he held up his hand, motioning for her to stop.

"I'm not a child you know, stop interrupting me like that!" Before he said anything, she snapped at him angrily for what she regarded as his boorishness.

"I'm sorry, but if you have any more questions, I think you should ask Dale." He said, she saw only apathy on his face and in his motions, but she knew that he must had became impatient with her.

"Dale would never tell me anything, he's such a jerk!"

"Hey! I heard that!" Dale suddenly emerged from the woods, making her jump.

"Enough with the 'materializing' thing, you scared me! Jeez, what a show-off." She complained and scowled at him. Dale laughed.

"Hey, Ivan." He greeted the silent figure a few feet away from them, never taking his eyes off her.

She began to notice now the rapture that rippled through his body as he watched her with eyes fierce with fervor. He seemed to be trying to hide the ardor that rushed in his blood, but he continued to tremble. Dale stepped toward her and took her hands in his. He held her hands with tenderness, she could almost feel the relief and joy he was emanating.

"Okay," she said, pulling her hands away as she blushed crimson. "You're creeping me out."

He laughed softly, and she for the first time appreciated how sweet and dulcet his laugh was, it melted her heart.

"You have no idea, Xenia… you don't know how relieved I am…" he said, his eyes sincere and hesitant as if he was conflicting inside whether to tell her his feelings or not.

"Yeah right, like you really care." She rolled her eyes, but underneath her annoyed look, flowers of exaltation were blossoming.

"I brought you food and water, you're probably hungry aren't you?" He asked her, his blissful expression suddenly gone, replaced by a haughty grin. The vampire held out a bundle that she hadn't notice him carrying before and dropped it into her hands. Xenia could feel the ephemeral happiness departing, and she began to feel annoyed at his cavalier attitude toward her, it was as if she was worth no more than a penny. She shot him a sharp look and walked away from both vampires, finding a place underneath one of the many trees to settle down without saying a thank-you.

"Such an attitude." Xenia heard him grumbled behind her.

"Such a brat!" She spat the words, twisting around to make a face at him. He ignored her with a smirk and crossed his arms before his chest as if challenging her.

"Jerk!" piqued, she returned fire.

"Bipolar!" he yelled back.

"AAAAAGH!" the girl snarled, she was almost tempted to throw a rock at him, but decided to be lady-like in front of Ivan, and so she pushed down the anger and turned her back on the two vampires.

She untied the knot on the bundle and unwrapped the cloth. There was a water skin and copious exotic looking fruits. She recognized some of the round, golden fruits as the fruits that he brought her a day ago. The pleasant and sweet aroma of the fruits drilled into her stomach, making it growl. Feeling the intense hunger all of a sudden, she grabbed what she could reach first and bit down hard on it. Dale must had seen her horrible eating manners because she hear him say with sarcasm, "What a fine young lady."

"Shut up!" She yelled at him with her mouth full, not really caring her how she presented herself in front of them – she was too hungry and tired to care.

She must admit that it tasted heavenly, not anything she would ever get to have a taste of in her world. If I every get back, she thought as she gorged down the fruits before her, I would import this stuff and make a fortune. She imagined herself living in a huge mansion consummated with gold, counting wads of money she made selling these delicious and foreign ambrosias. Xenia almost laughed at the idea – she really wasn't much of a saleswoman, she just wanted to go back home and finish school, and find a nice job that would earn her enough to buy a little house with many pets. But that didn't seem possible right now, so she decided that she would have to wait a little longer among the dark woods. Quickly she finished the food and water; wiping her lips and chin with the cloth that was used to carry the fruits, she folded it beside her and lay down on the soft, green patch of grass under the tree.

"Thank you." She whispered to Dale, knowing that he would hear with his keen vampire sense of hearing. She could feel his gaze upon her as she whispered the words, but ignored him and closed her eyes. The moment she fell asleep, she found the fiend's blood-red eyes staring at her with forbidding menace from flames that burned in the hell of forever darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Storytelling

Dale smiled as he heard her whispering her gratitude into the air, but quickly assumed a mask of apathy as he began to acknowledge the joy he was showing; he wasn't sure whether he was trying to hide his feeling from Ivan or from himself. Maybe he was trying to hide it from both of them, but he dared not search for the reason for his pretense – something told him that he knew the answer already. The relief and rapture he felt at seeing her full recovery was too great to be described in any form of language, he only remembered how powerful it was, crushing down at him as if a tidal wave would a tiny seagull. He had never experienced such bliss so overwhelming that he lost control over himself; it frightened him.

He was seeing things more lucidly now despite his reluctance, and part of him, deep under the thick ice of animus for the human race, knew that he was feeling more than simple affection or admiration toward Xenia; no, it was much, much stronger than that. Still he refused to admit it, he didn't want to love a human… and never thought he could. Once human had been nothing but prey to him, weak and inferior, worthy of no respect from him, an enemy race so dishonorably artful that they disgusted him. But Xenia was different from the others of her race, she was noble and courageous; there was a charisma within her, he was involuntarily being drawn to her, and no matter how he resisted he could not stop himself. Fate was playing a cruel joke on him by binding him with his opposite. The wound from his past reopened, those painful memories scorched his mind and thoughts, tormenting his soul as stigma began to fill him.

Dale sighed, elevating his gaze to the small patch of sky visible above him. He could tell that Ivan noticed his inner struggle, sometimes he wished for a less observant and serious Ivan, he felt utterly uncomfortable when Ivan's eyes rested upon him, those eyes that could see into his very soul. The sky was as blue as ever, wisps of feathery clouds drifted where the wind would carry them; they were free, with no worries of life, no struggles against fate. Perhaps it would be better if he was one of them.

"Dale," Ivan said quietly, pulling Dale's attention back to him.

"Forget the past," Ivan said, and Dale lowered his head to meet his silent gaze.

"Do not defy your heart. Who she is, is not based on what she is, she is pure and worthy, a rare one. You need to move on to the present, not lingering in the past."

Dale grimaced; he knew Ivan was telling him the path he must take, but the shadow in his heart only grew larger.

"Tell me about your last few years, we have a lot to catch up on." Dale forced a grin onto his face and changed the subject. Ivan peered into his eyes, seeming to read his thoughts. He seemed as if he was about to say something, but he looked away instead and began to tell his story as a Royal Guard. The rest of the day past heedlessly, they told each other of the past few years they'd been apart, they exchanged stories and things they learned. At sunset Ivan departed into the shadow, eager to slip back among the Guards before he would be discovered missing. Dale came beside Xenia, who was still sleeping deeply, wanting desperately to seek comfort in her warmth. What he saw bothered him; she wore a deep frown with beads of sweat on her forehead, her mouth opened several times to form silent scream. It was just like the other times he watched her sleep – she was having nightmare.

**He came closer, with each step he took she trembled more violently. Finally her knees gave out beneath her and she fell on her knees to the ground. Her eyes were wild with fear like that of a trapped animal. Xenia tried to look away, to stand up, to run away… but her body was not in her command, she was rigid and frozen like a statue, and her ability to move was no more. She didn't notice the fact that she had begun suffocating the moment his eyes locked on hers; fear gripped her and forced her airway to close, all she could manage was to sob short gasps that burned her throat, but she could squeeze only barely enough air into her lung. Her chest throbbed with pain and her heat fluttered with panic, she could bear those eyes no longer, they pierced her would and mind with force of myriad of needles and knifes, it was too much to gaze into them, in death. He came before her and knelt down slowly, as if taunting her helplessness, his nose was barely an inch from hers. **

**Her heart stopped beating; in those eyes crimson as blood, she saw a fiend, one that was more terrifying than the one before her; she saw a ghastly creature that came from the deepest, darkest abyss of hell. It was a creature so horrible that a mere glance at it would drive a person both physically and mentally over the zenith; a glimpse of the fiend would send any living soul into an abiding nightmare of terror and insanity, perhaps sending many to their deaths. She knew destruction was near, a calamity, her own excruciating death and others'. Blood and flesh, faces twisted by inhuman screams elicited by extreme fear and agony, the smell of death and broken corpses… tears streaked her face, her eyes opened wide with fear so palpable in them. **

**The vampire before her touched her cheek with his fingertips, slowly tracing along her jawbone and down her throat. She choked out a sob of despair. He laughed, locks of golden hair fell before his ruby eyes. His fangs grew longer, extending with intimidating sharpness. **

**"For a monster to be summoned, a sacrifice must be made." He hissed, grinning to bare his fangs.**

**She screamed. **

"Xenia," someone was calling her. She screamed, thrashing and kicking, trying to find off the vampire with blood red eyes.

"XENIA, WAKE UP," The voice called again. She snapped open her eyes, panting and gasping. As she saw the face looming over her, she gave a stranded cry and rolled away from him; crawling away in fear. He caught her by the waist and she screamed, struggling to break free from his grip.

"Xenia, it's me!" he spun her to face him and shook her by the shoulders, speaking only loud enough to overcome her weak shrieks. Xenia stared at him in shock, slowly recovering from her nightmare. She saw before her not the fierce red eyes but tender blue eyes. She gawked with vacant eyes, letting her screams and struggle fade away.

"You are him… but he is… no, no… you're not him, he's not you…" she murmured to herself, flinching as he drew her closer to him. This was Dale, a vampire that saved her life, but he looked exactly like the man in her nightmare aside from his blue eyes.

"It's… just a reflection, a reflection of my… fear," she whimpered, her voice raspy. Was this an ominous dream that was trying to warn her of him? She told herself again and again that he was not a threat, but the recurrent dream seemed to grow more vivid every time she closed her eyes. The doubt in her began to subside as he held her against him; she laid her head on his chest and let her eyelids drop, shivering at the cold radiating from his body.

"There, there, everything's okay, have no fear." He sighed.

Xenia took a deep breath and pulled away, she was truly annoyed at the fact that she was almost reluctant to slip away from his embrace.

"I'm not afraid." She stated defiantly, even now she wanted to show no part of her that was weak and cowardly – she would not have him debase her. Then she noticed the absence of Ivan and scanned her surrounding with puzzlement.

"Where's Ivan anyway?"

"He left." He stated, not one moment lifting his intense gaze away from her. Apparently her effort to lure his attention away from her was useless.

"I taste your fear. Something's bothering you, is that not correct?" he asked, his brows furrowed gently with concern. She looked into his earnest eyes, those magnificent blue eyes so mesmerizing that she came close to losing herself in them. No trace of playfulness showed, there was no contempt. She forced herself to look away. No, Xenia told herself sternly, He isn't a monster. She shook her head and allowed his eyes to lock on hers; a small smile spread itself across her face, serenity washed over her, momentarily burying her nostalgia and trepidation. Her trust in him would not waver, because she saw kindness in his eyes, a kindness that had been there since they met but she had failed to notice. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, tilting his head to the side with confusion that was soon to vanish. A bright grin lit up on his face, and his eyes twinkled in the starlight.

"This is the first time you smiled at me since we met… you have a smile that outshine Varra."

She blushed, rolling her eyes impatiently but with pleasure.

"Should that take that as a compliment?" she asked timidly. Blushing again as he smiled.

"You certainly should. You see that star over there?" he leaned toward her at the same time snaking an arm around her shoulders, with his free hand he pointed toward the sky hidden behind the sable leaves. She squinted as hard as she could, but could not see through the thick layer of leaves.

"Uhhhhh, no." she complained.

Dale turned to look at her with questioning eyes, then realization was soon to form a grin on his face.

"Right, I forgot; with your poor human eyesight, you can't see as well as I can though objects."

She shook her head with pursed lips and shrugged away from his arm.

"Racist."

"Well, that's just the heart-breaking truth! Let's get you to my clearing, you can see Varra from there."

"Exactly how -" She felt herself suddenly lifted into the air and gave a surprised yelp.

"Put me down!' She wiggled in his arms as he laughed and turned toward their right.

"I'm going to give you the most amazing ride ever."

"Wait, what -"

He sped into the dark woods faster than the speed of light, the dark shapes of the trees and bushes shot by them so incredibly fast that they melted into a wall of rushing darkness. She felt blood drained form her face, her heart stopped beating and she stopped breathing; she threw her arms around his neck with fright and held on with all her will, burying her face in his shoulder. She thought she heard his chortle, but the sound was left behind the moment it left his throat, carried away by the hissing wind. Squeaking, she held on tighter until every muscle in her body began to contract from her effort. Before she knew it, the wind stopped. Raising her head slightly as she detected no more movement, she peeked through the slits of her eyes. They were in the clearing now, the little cottage stood in the center of the empty space quietly.

"You were scared," he snickered mockingly and released her onto the ground.

"I was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Oh yes you were!"

"God damn freakin' vampires!" she yelled, loosing her patient as she fought to maintain her balance. The image before her swan in and out of her view due to dizziness and she fell forward. He caught her by the waist, jerking her backward against him. Her heart pounded at the intimate contact and she pushed him away.

"Jerk." She gritted her teeth angrily, only to fall sideways when she left his supportive arms. He let her fall this time, grinning mischievously like a devilish child.

"I see that you have quite an anger issue."

"Do not!"

"Do too!" she glared at him and pushed herself up, sitting still and waited for her dizziness to assuage.

He sat down beside her, constantly peeking sideways at her with amusement in his blue eyes.

"You probably think I'm a volatile, spoiled brat that is used to having her way all the time, don't you?" she sighed. "It's just that, I just got thrown into all this mess, I don't know anything anymore. How would you feel if you were me?"

He lifted her chin and turned her face toward him, his eyes intensely locked on hers.

"If I were you," he said softly but his voice was firm, "I wouldn't have been so brave."

He smiled a dazzling smile that took her breath away, mesmerized, she returned the best smile she could manage.

"Now, lay down."

She did as she was told and he did the same beside her.

"You see that star? The bright blue one?" he pointed to a star in the sky. Xenia searched among clusters of silver sparks and finally spotted the star he was pointing to. The distinctively bright star flashed crystal blue then a rich sapphire blue, dancing with more grace and energy than any other silver star; it alone stood out from all the others, its immaculate beauty and elegance immortal and divine.

"It's called Varra," he said softly, his voice rich and musical, adding a sense of romance into the starlit sky. "It means the Eye of Salifus. It's the brightest star in the sky, well, in the sky of this realm. It is said that this star holds the most clandestine, ancient secret that is the key to the survival of my race."

"It's beautiful." She exclaimed dreamily.

"Yes, and as are you."

She blushed at his remark, trying her best to ignore the sound of her heart beating, but she wasn't oblivious to the fact that his vampire ears must had picked up the acceleration of her heart rate.

"Who's Salifus anyway?" she asked, directing his attention elsewhere.

"The first and the greatest King of this Empire, one that transformed the savage vampires into rational creatures. He was the one to make peace with the human race during the Blood War. And Salifus is also my name."

She gasped, confused. "What? I thought you -"

"Dale is my alias. It's customary among us that we use our aliases before others, we only give our true names to those we trust the most. It's but a custom though, our true names do not hold power like the true name of a fairy. But you should call me Dale anyway."

"Well then, I'm honored that you told me your real name."

"You should be."

"So Ivan, Akzorr, both those names are -"

"Yes, but of course Ivan and I know each other by our true names."

"But why chose the name 'Dale'? It so doesn't sound like you at all." Xenia asked. The breeze brushed down softly, caressing her exposed skin. She sensed sorrow and regret as the wind swirled around them, it whispered in a voice too muffled to be understood, but she knew it was telling a story, a tragic story that broke her heart. Pained by his unease and agony, she gently placed her hand on his, offering what little comfort she could to him. He tensed, she could feel him bewildered. He flipped his palm up and interlaced his fingers with hers, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"My mother wasn't a vampire, not until she met my father. She had always liked that name, it was the name of her human sweetheart. He died… but she never forgot him even as she fell in love with my father, a vampire. She loved that name so… and so I chose this name."

"Ivan said she has magic, and so do you. He said something about your brother…"

Dale shot straight up from where he was lying, pulling his hand from hers sharply. His fists clenched and he glared, not at her, but at a memory perhaps. The rage emitting from him blazed, and she thought she could feel the heat burning her skin as the ire rushed out from him. She flinched, shrinking away from him in apprehension that she had never felt when with him. He turned and saw the fear in her eyes, immediately he sunk back into his usual aplomb. He lay back down, all the while his eyes never left hers, only now they were gentle as before.

"There are things about my past," he sighed, and she relaxed beside him. "These knowledge can do you great harm if you learn them. It's better not to know."

"In other words, you don't completely trust me." She winced at how much the words rolling on her tongue sounded like whimper.

"I gave you my name didn't I? Now I suppose you want the answer to your other questions, like where you are and how you got here." He grinned, casting away all the tension before. Xenia could breath again, and she returned a grin.

"Bring it on, I'm with a vampire right now, I can take more than that."

"Alright then." He cleared his throat, and she closed her eyes. She felt calm, calmer than she had ever been. The wind was smiling now, she could tell, it kissed her hair, sweeping across her skin. It was telling another story, the history of the vampire race perhaps. She smiled, drowsy.

"You're now in the Realm of Vampiria, the realm of vampires. You see, once numerous creatures of different races dwelled upon Earth, but as time grew old, some of the more intelligent ones became civilized. It was not easy competing for resources or territories with other races, many became enemies. Of course, many became allies too. Some of these races were benevolent, but many were dark and selfish. There were wars, small ones, but then they all came together and evolved into a great war. We call it the Blood War, because too many were lost, and there was too much slaughtering and bloodshed.

"When it all ended, not many were left, most races were wiped out, like the elves, and some races had only a handful of descendants left. The wiser individuals of each race that survived came together and discussed the future they possibly shared. It was decided at last that these former enemies should be separated, divided in space and time, if you will. There were four races among the survivors that outnumbered the others largely, the four were the vampires, the winged people known to you as the angels, the humans, and the fairies. These four races were separated into four realms, and the other minorities were gathered in another realm, one bigger than the four. In each realm, there are entrances to the other four realms, and each entrance would open at different times; some open only once every hundred years, some open only at eclipse, and some open at a certain time of the day every single day or month. The entrance from your world to my opens at sunset once every month, and you were just lucky that you picked the right day to cross the threshold," He teased her, taking her hand in his again.

Giggling softly, she pulled her hand away from his.

"I guess I 'am' very lucky, you know, being able to meet a vampire." and meet you, she thought, but swallowed the words down so that she wouldn't abash herself by flirting.

A sharp screech sliced into the peaceful night, making both Xenia and Dale sit straight up. Xenia whipped her head around toward the direction of the cacophony, startled and her eyes wide. Dale tensed with alarm and narrowed his eyes nervously. He stood with one swift and graceful movement, turning toward the sound.

"Stay here," he said, his voice strained as if he was oppressing anger. "I'm going to investigate. Go back to the cottage. Don't. Go. Anywhere." As soon as the words reached her, he was gone, leaving a few leaves rustling where he past by them. Nervous and anxious, she stood up from the ground and headed toward the silent cottage, pacing faster as she came close.

Then she felt a presence behind her. Panic gripped her, she whirled around, her fingers curled and her hands balled into fists at her side, ready to put up a fight. She gasped the moment their eyes met, pain exploded in her head and everything went dark; the last thing she heard was a dark sneer, then she was out cold then.

**Author's Notes**: sorry that it took so long, but this chapter is at least a bit longer. I know I'm a horribly slow writer, but… I'll try to change that. I hope this chapter isn't too confusing, sorry how the last few chapters are all kind of boring and stuff, I wanted to explain things.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Predator and Prey

Dale sensed that something had gone amiss when he came to a halt just a few steps from the boundary; things were too still, silent as they were supposed to be. He was sure that this was definitely the location where the screech was let out to traverse the night, but he couldn't sense any presence. Then he realized there was something in the air, he could smell it. Perhaps he didn't recognize the danger immediately because the scent in the air was too unfamiliar, but now as he began to acknowledge the smell, he looked up with alarm. A sudden just of wind blew down at him; a harpy hovered above him, so close to the ground that he could feel every single powerful beat of her wings. The hideous creature screeched, her beady black eyes stalking him as he moved toward the shadow. With a low hiss, he let his claws slip out from his fingertips and his fangs grow to their full length. He crouched, his eyes following the harpy as she circled the air above him all the while searching for him on the shadowy ground. He was ready to lash out at the creature if she would swoop down at him, but she never did.

Instead of attacking, the harpy gave a rough shriek that sounded like a laugh, then she flapped her wings, pushing down harder on the air so she became high aloft above the tree tops. The harpy took off, her dark shape sailing across the sky and gradually out of his sight. He stayed still, listening attentively to the sound of her beating wings until the air grew still again and the sound faded. He stared into the sky where the harpy had circled, baffled by her appearance here. In his realm, the Realm of Vampiria, there were not many intelligent species aside from the vampires themselves; other creatures were wary of vampires and would rather not set foot on here, that was why the smell of the harpy was so unfamiliar to Dale. The harpy wasn't supposed to be here, even if she strayed from her path and wandered by accident into this realm, she would not have made such an encounter, for her race had a tendency to be away from other species.

His brows furrowed with deep thoughts, pondering on the reason that the harpy was here. Then he began to see the truth unfolding itself.

"A diversion," he snarled venomously, suddenly sensing Xenia's presence gone from the forest.

The vampire sped into the woods, running as fast as he could that his feet barely acme into contact with the ground. Rancor and fear tumbled into an explosion in his chest, he could feel the enormous pressure building up there that threatened his control over the bestial side of him. He was raging with shame – how could he had been so careless? She was in danger and he was not there to help her. The thought of her dead tormented him, tearing him apart.

Soon he was in the clearing, and found nothing there but the little cottage. She was gone. He dropped to his knees, feeling as much ire as fear.

"No…." he choked, trembling. But what frightened him the most wasn't her abduction, but her abductor; he sniffed the air and confirmed his fear. He caught the faint scent that lingered there, that smell belonged to no other than the most dangerous vampire in the Empire – it was his brother, the King.

Xenia woke up in the dark. The first thing she knew was the pain in her head. She moaned loudly with rasp voice and rolled of the soft material she was lying upon. The pain grew unbearably severe with a sudden jolt as she hit the stone floor. She cried out in pain, pressing her forehead to the icy floor in an attempt to ease the searing pain, but it was a futile attempt. It was as if someone clamped his hand over her head, squeezing so hard that the pressure burned wildly to make her head explode. She rolled in pain, flinging her head side to side as if that would help. Something cold pressed down gently on her forehead, and the pain stopped abruptly, not a single hint of twinge remained.

She panted; her body numb and light. A voice chuckled, and she remembered. No… this can't be real, it's just a bad dream… She tried to convince herself that it wasn't happening, that none of it was real, but she couldn't escape the feeling of dread. She couldn't move, enfeebled somehow by his chilling touch, she could only tremble and gasp.

"What a beautiful thing you are," her captor sighed as if enchanted by her, but she heard the malice in that dark and musical voice clear enough. It was a vampire, she knew that long before she heard his voice – she had met him in her sleep.

"You look and smell so ravishing, has anyone told you that before? Such a pretty thing you are, and very appetizing as well…"

She felt him leaning down to her his lips brushing against her throat. He exhaled slowly, his cold breath tickling the skin on her throat, and she shivered from the arctic breath; he laid a kiss there, then another on her collarbone. She sobbed, and he purred with pleasure as he laid his head on her chest, one ear pressed against her flesh. He remained still in that position for what seemed like an eternity, tormenting her.

"I can hear every single heartbeat,"

She felt him smiling in the dark, taunting her helplessness like he did in her dream.

"I can hear the air moving in and out of your lung, and the blood rushing back in forth in your veins. I wonder what would happen, if I drink you dry…" he hissed menacingly all of a sudden, causing her to tense with a violent tremor. He laughed at her reaction, sounding entertained by her fear.

"But don't worry, my sweet, sweet Xenia, you are far more valuable than that. I brought you here for a greater purpose," he cajoled, his voice softened into a loving gentleness. But she knew better than to surrender to his endearing words, a vampire's falsely coy words.

He moved slowly, once again to touch his lips to her throat. She tried to fight her fear, but it made her tremble. He nuzzled the hollow beneath her chin, and kissed her there once more.

"You taste so much like sunshine, Xenia, a rare one indeed. Perhaps that's why Dale is so enchanted by you." He said with a soft laugh.

"Dale…" she gasped in a whisper, and felt him pulling away from her. Xenia heard him sigh and he left her there. She could still feel him sharing the dark space with her even though she couldn't see or hear him anymore. A few moments passed, and she managed to find the courage inside her. The little strength she wrested from that drop of courage allowed her to push herself up from the floor. She leaned back cautiously and found something to support her back. Remembering that she was lying on something soft when she first awoke, she guessed that she was leaning against the side of a bed.

Suddenly, he spoke, "I see that you don't like darkness, do you?"

She heard a sound, so soft and faint that it would have been overcame if not for the grim silence in the dark. Then she realized that the sound came from the curtain being pulled aside as moonlight spilled onto her. The vampire tugged gently on the thick velvet curtain to reveal more and more of the night sky to her; the pale light reached into the room she found herself in, casting a diaphanous veil upon anything that it could claim in the chamber. The moon hung above the semi-circle-shaped balcony, round as a china dish with a silver hue to it.

"You can have all the light you like, that applies to moonlight only, you will not see the sun here." He chuckled, remaining in the darkness with a hand still gently clutching a fistful of the crimson velvet. She stared at his vague figure, the beauty of the night placated her fear not, she barely noticed anything aside from the vampire.

"Romantic, isn't it? Just the two of us here… Such a pity that you fear me so, we would have made a wonderful couple." He said, stepping into the light so that she could see his face. She wasn't surprised – she knew that face all too well, etched into her memory by her nightmares and her times with Dale – yet she still could not suppress the gasp that had tried the hardest to hold back. Any hope she had that he was an illusion shattered, leaving her to face heinous truth. His blond hair was golden like Dale's, only it was long enough to fall to his shoulders. There was that same mocking smile, that came sharp feature, only those eyes were blood red instead of ocean blue, just like in her dreams.

"Surprise!" he laughed as if he was truly having fun, extending his arms in a friendly gesture that was clearly pretended.

"You and Dale are…" she mumbled to herself, unable to finish the last word. How was that possible? It just could not be, they were so different…

"We're twins," he said archly, grinning.

Suddenly he was in front of her, kneeling down so their eyes met at the same level.

"He is a vulgar one, living in banishment, despised by the entire Empire, Xenia. I don't see how he can be good enough for you, you'll find yourself grateful that I brought you out of that misery." He smiled and reached up to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear, and she slapped his hand away with a sudden flare of anger, glowering at him with fierce eyes.

He only laughed contemptuously. "My little flower is angry with me, what did I do wrong, my sweet?"

"Shut. Up. Listen up, I am NOT your babe, so stop calling me that. And Dale is anything but what you said he is. I don't care if he's banished or not, he maybe rude and obnoxious, but he's everything more than you are!" She screamed at him, her consternation gone. It surprised Xenia that she was so enraged at his comments about Dale, but she ignored the fact and concentrated on glaring at the vampire before her, the fiend in her nightmare.

He sighed and wagged his forefinger at her like a father would a child, shaking his head as if amused. "You need to learn some manner, young lady; being rude to those around here would only bring you troubles, and you wouldn't want to end up dead, would you?"

She shivered, her shell of bravery crumbling.

He smiled complacently and stood to his full height, staring down at her with satisfaction. "I didn't think so."

Then she was suddenly cognizant of his lingering gaze upon her. She watched, alert, as he inspected her from head to toes like buyer would examine a horse. Hugging her knees to her chest, Xenia tried to make herself smaller, to hide from his watchful eyes, and all the while glaring.

"What do you want?" she spat.

He smiled and shook his head disapprovingly, obviously disgusted by what he had seen. "A girl like you should not be dressed in such tattered and soiled clothing. Now…" He disappeared and was immediately back again with a grown draped over his forearm.

"There's a closet and a bathing room here, I have faith that you will find it comfortable here, more comfortable than that little hovel of my brother's." he sneered as he mentioned Dale.

"I'd rather be in that little hovel than in this damn room with you." She muttered with venomous hatred, looking away.

"Well, you're not going anywhere unless I will it. Tomorrow night I will be expecting you at dinner, I'll send a maid to guide you to where we will dine and you, my dear Xenia, shall be wearing this clean and elegant gown I chose for you. I assume that you will take care in cleaning yourself?" It wasn't a question, Xenia knew, it was a demand, an order. She rolled her eyes in ire, her right hand griping her left upper arm while her left hand balled into a fist.

"You can't make me do anything. I will not have dinner with you and I will not wear that 'thing'. What are you going to do about it?"

"Whether you want to or not, it is my biddings that you will do. If you refuse to dress up and come down to have dinner with me," he grinned mischievously with malice, staring down at her intensely. "I will come up here and dress you myself, then I'll drag you down there and tie you to the chair. Does that satisfy you?"

She flinched, looking down at her knees in defeat, angry tears forming in her bright green eyes as animus stirred inside.

"It seemed that you have consented to my request, that's wonderful. I will send a maid to take you there, and if you need any help with your hair or makeup, you can ask the maid as well."

He dropped the gown on the bed, letting the soft and light material fall gracefully.

"Most address me as Lord Darren or King Darren, but you can call me Darren if you like, we can discard the formality between us."

Then he was gone, leaving the bewildered girl behind to gnaw on the title he claimed.

**Author's Note: **Sorry that this chapter is kinda short, well, shorter than the ones before. School just started and I'm gonna get really busy, but I'll try my best to update often. Thanks to those who've been reading and reviewing, love ya!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – The Keep of Vampirovia

Dale came to a halt, the long trail of swirling dust and rustling leaves still drifted aloft in the air even as his claws and fangs extended to their intimidating sharpness. He gave a menacing hiss, his awareness shifted to his surrounding and quickly snapped back to the five figures before him. His unfamiliarity with the new terrain he found himself in surely gave him a small disadvantage, but despite the isolated situation he did not falter but grinned instead. He did not regret traveling beyond the border and safety of his territory – he didn't care about his own life, all he could think of was Xenia's fading chance of survival. She could take not even a mere flick of a vampire's finger, that alone could condemn her to death. Of course he knew that she could be dead even as he took his fighting stance, but he was counting on his understanding of Darren's personality; it didn't seem that Darren would go through all the trouble just to have her under his fangs, no, there must be more to it. Even if he intended to kill her, he would've left her corpse there just to taunt Dale. So Dale held to the little hope that she might still be alive, and came.

The hooded figures spread out before him, swift as a shooting star. Dale effaced the triumphant smirk on his face, letting the danger in his face rouse his natural instinct. His keen senses sharpened beyond normality for regular vampires, becoming so acute that he could sense everything around him within at least four miles. His claws ripped silently through the skin on his fingertips, growing to their intimidating length, and his fangs grew so that they could be seen glistering with venom in the dim, pale light. Two of the hooded Royal Guards dived for the darkness among the woods, disappearing from his sight, but Dale could hear the extremely faint sound of the whooshing wind as the two rushed at an inhuman speed through the woods around him. One of the three vampires before him stepped forward, motioning for the other two to retreat a step back. Dale raised his eyebrow suspiciously and growled, with no intention to let down his guard he glared at the apparent leader of his opponents belligerently. He concentrated on every slight movement his opponent made to anticipate a possible aggress, all the while watching the other two behind the leader and listening to the remaining two that dived into the woods.

"Such an honor to meet you," said the leader quietly as he pulled down his hood. Dale could see a trace of respect in his eyes despite his attempt to conceal it, and satisfaction made Dale smile darkly… They still fear me…

"I am temporarily the Captain of the Guards, and Lord Darren requested that I send you his regard."

Dale hissed at the mentioning of his twin brother vindictively. Darren was expecting him, that meant this was all but a game… Xenia might be in greater jeopardy than he realized.

The Captain looked perhaps a few decades older than him, a little too young – Dale recalled from the time before Darren's reign – to be chosen as Captain, even just a temporary one. He immediately guessed that Darren eliminated the older Guards, who were loyal to his father, and replaced them with the younger generation. How thoughtful of him, Dale thought while gritting his teeth, the younger ones were easier to manipulate, they had not any idea of what had taken place before Darren succeeded the throne.

He inspected the Captain vaguely; the vampire had white blond hair that fell straight to his waist in an elvish style, a lock of hair braided just above the ear on either side of his head. His pale, grey eyes were speckled by black spots around the iris. His angular jaw had a smooth curve, giving him a slender look rather than a sharp one. So the new Captain fashions himself as an elf, how charming, sneered Dale in his head, Just the type that carries out any dumb orders.

"Are you done then? Are we prepared to take this conversation to a high level?" Dale hissed and curled back his lip to emphasize his fangs as a sigh of hostility. The Captain wasn't as threatened by his aggression as the two behind him, who shuddered just slightly when Dale hissed.

"I didn't think Akzorr could be killed so easily, not even by you," The Captain said after a period of silence, of which they both took advantage to examine one another.

"He was a good Captain… I don't understand how you could kill on of your won kind to protect a 'HUMAN'." The Captain shook his head disdainfully, a low growl formed in the back of his throat.

Dale hissed to hide a shameful wince. He didn't understand how he could've done it neither, why he cared for her so much… Even since his mother died he had expressed more animus toward the human kin than any other of his own kin…

"Show some respect," he spoke through clenched teeth. "Your former Queen had been a human once, you better keep that mouth of yours shut, or I 'will' shut it for you!"

Bitter memories consumed his thought avidly for a moment as he remembered his mother… how she died… how his father grieved…

The Captain chuckled, baring his own fangs and wiggled his clawed fingers as a sigh to return Dale's enmity.

"I don't see how you can manage that, five against one? Your chance is slime, no matter how good a fighter you are, you're too greatly outnumbered." The last syllable barely left his lips when they all smelled it. The three stiffened in shock and confusion. Dale smiled deviously.

"Yes, it's vampire blood." He hissed.

Suddenly one of the hooded figures from before broke through the woods and was immediately entangled in a fight with the two vampires behind the Captain, their clumsy and rigid movements showed that they were too shocked to put their reflexes into use. Dale didn't wait, he launched at the dumbfounded vampire Captain with a wide grin.

"It's two against three in fact. You only outnumber us by one, and that makes your downfall a certainty."

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Xenia sat there for a length of time; she wasn't sure how long it took for her body to relax, but when she finally manage to unwind despite her fear and bewilderment, she realized how exhausted and weak she felt. The moon hung high in the night, its aureole of serenity reached into hearts of those in pain and misery, but not hers. Her heart beat still frantically against her chest even as she tried her best to calm herself – the encounter was overwhelming, and she resented the fact that his presence alone made her cringe and whimper. Why did she feel so powerless against him? She'd face two vampires before, and one of them had intended to inflict death upon her. She fought back impudently even as her faith deteriorated… Yet things were somehow different with this particular vampire, Dale's twin brother. What was it he had that was capable of frightening her so? She didn't want to know, for the answer was sure to be unpleasant.

Sighing, she pushed herself up stiffly using the support of the bed. Taking a deep breath, she filled her lung with air to almost its full capacity, then she slow exhaled. It was something she learned when she was little to disperse the negative energies within her, but this time it didn't seem to work. Xenia found herself willing for Dale's company, his presence… it would have brightened the darkest corner of the world, his humor and sarcasm would have comforted her. But he wasn't here; in fact, as she pondered, she presumed that the chance of seeing him was slime. Number one, even though he saved her once and she had much faith in him, she was dubious that the vainglorious vampire would be willing to stand against his own twin brother for her. Number two, if Darren was really the King he claimed to be, then Dale was not likely to penetrate the possible thick defense placed around this very place. Suddenly, Xenia hoped that Dale would stay away from here, if he lost his life, she could never abide with the fact it was all because of her. Shaking her head, she deplored her pitiful and young life; not only was she lost and too far away from the ones who loved her, her life was in the hands of a Vampire Lord who seemed to enjoy toying with her emotions.

"Life sucks," she muttered, standing up.

The girl turned away from the balcony to face the rest of the chamber, gasping in disbelief. The room was at least two stories high, and so wide and commodious that she was sure she could've invited more than fifty friends over to party while having a small patting zoo as an entertainment. Gaping, she waited for the awe to settle down while tracing every single detail with her eyes. The bed seemed to be placed in the very center of the room, strangely, and it was shaped as a circle – which made her wonder. Surrounding the bed, symbols were engraved into the stone of the floor, shimmering silver in the caress of the moonlight. She couldn't understand the symbols, but she thought she saw a few of them before, in the human realm; and she remembered what Ivan said… _His mother was a powerful human sorceress_… Maybe these were some sort of runes, she made a conjecture then continued to survey the large chamber.

To her left, a deluxe dressing table rested against the far wall, she could make out the shapes of jewelry boxes and other small objects sitting on it, but it was still too dark for her to truly identify them. On either side of the dressing table was a two-paneled door; remembering what Darren had said about the bathing room and the closet, she immediately assumed that the doors each lead to one of them. The largest door in the chamber was across the room from the balcony, in between the door and the balcony was of course the bed. She began to wonder again why the bed was placed in the center of the room. Looking around she found that numerous flower pots and domestic plants were placed along all edges where the vertical walls converged with the stone floor. There was a statue of what seemed to be a dragon standing in each corner of the large room, the details of the statues washed away by darkness.

To her right hand side on the far wall, there set in stone was an enormous fireplace, apparently neglected and unused for over quite a long period of time. On the mantelshelf there sat many object that she could not recognize in the dark. Now why would a vampire want a fireplace? She wondered. Before the fireplace was placed a large, rectangular rug, and sitting on the rug was a short yet very wide table with quills and ink bottles placed elegantly on one side and some ancient-looking scrolls on the other. There were rolls of blankets placed beside the table, their purpose unknown to her. On either side of the fireplace was an enormous book shelf, on which there placed countless books and strange objects whose shapes she had no recognition of. Curious, Xenia paced over to the far wall, the idea of the dancing flame warming her body already. Examining the fireplace, she frowned in concentration, trying to come up with a way to bring the fire to life. Then she spotted it. Sitting on the hearth just beside the flue was a tiny box of match with a logo of a modern company printed on its surface that Xenia did not recognize.

The little match book seemed out of place, it seemed new and modern… and human. Without hesitation and snatched it up from its place and popped it open, hoping for a few remaining match to light a fire. As she half expected, it was unused and full. It was almost as if someone had put it there for her. Shrugging to herself, she lit a match and threw it into the pile of what seemed to be a pile of coals or logs, hoping it would light on fire. It was better than she hoped. Strangely, the fire burst into life in an instant, burning with such passion that the golden light stretched to the other end of the chamber, the shadows scrambling out of its way and into the night. Watching with wonder, she couldn't help but question how the blossom of flower, small considering the size of the entire room, send its brightness to every corner of the chamber? But that didn't really matter now. Tossing the matchbook aside, she began to examine what was revealed before her.

On the mantle shelf, there vases of flowers were placed, the flowers still blooming at their bests and emanating their beauty and pleasant scent. In the middle of the shelf there stood a carved metal box with silver and golden webs running across its detailed faces. On either side of the box there stood a tall candle in the strange shape of melted wax, both of them colorless, almost transparent. A sudden urge to look up ran through her, and without a thought she tilted her head up and gasped in shock.

"Oh, Dale…" a whisper escaped her mouth, accompanied by a touch of sorrow.

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Dale thrust his arm forward like a sword, curling his fingers slightly so that the tips of his claws met at a focused, single point. The Captain, still in shock, instinctively shifted backward to avoid his claws, at the same time throwing back his cloak to free his arms so to block Dale's attack. But his reaction was delayed by his bewilderment and came half a second too late, Dale managed to bring his claws down diagonally, incising a deep gash on the Captain's chest. Silver blood poured freely from the wound, immediately dyeing his white shirt a dark silver. The shredded clothe hung limply dripping with blood. Dale didn't stop to give his opponent the chance to recover from the first attack, but the Captain had gathered his poise and was soon to clear the clouds of confusion that his detained his reflexes. The Captain successfully parried the consecutive swipes Dale had attempted, he dropped down suddenly, and with his inhuman speed he crept behind Dale and struck with outstretched hands, like the paws of an angry leopard. But Dale was quicker. He shifted his weight backward and in a swift move he spun around, whisking aside the pair of talons that was but half an inch from cutting into his flesh.

"Not bad," Dale complimented with an exaggerated smile of encouragement.

The Captain growled in irritation, mauling at dale with ardent ferocity. Dale easily dodged each attack, countering a few attacks with no obvious effort. He sneered as he saw the frustration and incomprehension in the Captain's face; the long-haired vampire was almost as good as Akzorr, and his patience gave him an advantage that Akzorr did not have. Still the vampire wasn't much of a match for Dale. As he observed, he was quick to realize that the Captain was more specialized in speedy attacks that crushed down at his opponent like a crazed tornado. Dale grinned darkly – this couldn't be easier.

"I see that Darren hasn't been persistent in training his little pawns," Dale chuckled, suddenly he lurched forward with his claws viciously outstretched. The Captain wasn't expecting such a move, Dale could see the surprise in his face. Knowing that he didn't have enough time to avoid the claws, the Captain slashed downward in a vain attempt to intersect Dale's attack; the next instant Dale pulled back before he could come into contact with the other vampire, and dashed to the Captain's left side. The Captain, tricked by Dale's feigned attack, desperately tried to turn to face Dale in time, but Dale left him no chance; he bit into the other vampire's throat savagely with a growl, and the Captain screamed in pain. Blinded by fear, the vampire lost his calm and began to writhe with agony, snatching at the air promiscuously. Before his claws could come near to Dale, the younger vampire released him and smacked the back of his neck.

A sickening crack of the bone was heard then, and the scream stopped. Triumphant, Dale threw a glance at the other three who were still entangled in battle; the two royal Guards who had stood behind the Captain tensed with fear. The broken body of the vampire fell limply to the ground with a soft thud, and Dale smiled. His lips and fangs were caked by dry blood that had now turned sable black. But he didn't bother to wipe it away… After all these years, killing seemed so satisfying to his bestial side, the side of him that lusted after blood and death. The idea of breaking another, hearing their bones cracking under his ruthless blows, hearing them scream in horror and extreme agony… it made his skin tingle with excitement, his being restless…

He shivered, suddenly ashamed of himself for having such bloodlust. He was born with it, for he was a vampire, but he felt ashamed of himself… What would Xenia think if she saw him like this, crazed with zealous desire to kill? She would run away from him, she would hate him for it; he could already imagine the disgust on her face, the hidden fear she would have of him. He shook his head impatiently, trying to clear his thoughts to focus on the present situation. He knew it all along, ever since he sensed her in his territory… she was changing him, taming the beast inside of him. A snarl pulled him from his thoughts. He looked away from the cadaver and toward where the battle raged on still.

He strolled with ease toward the three hooded figures, observing with amusement.

"Hey, Ivan, you need some help to finish up?"

The figure, who had jumped out from the woods, shrugged. Dale chuckled at his nonchalance, but knew he would have to intervene soon. Ivan was a good fighter, but nowhere as good as Dale – judging by the state he was in, Dale could tell that Ivan could kill one and wound the other, but at a great cost. It was really unnecessary for him to be hurt when Dale could take the one life so easily.

"Let me join the fun, this one's my!" Dale shouted for the two enemy Royal Guards to hear, and pounced at the taller of the two.

The taller vampire whipped around in apprehension, crouching in a defensive position. Dale could see the hesitation in his movements – their leader had just been killed, and they were fighting against such powerful enemies, was it better to run? Winking archly, Dale suddenly changed the direction of his attack. The taller vampire blinked in surprise and fear as Dale plunged his clawed hand into the back of the shorter vampire, who was concentrating on Ivan that he didn't anticipate the sudden twist of event. At the same time, Ivan broke away from his fight and caught the taller vampire off guard, he snapped the neck of his new opponent in one clean blow. The two Royal Guards fell at the same moment, both lifeless and limp. Dale grinned, holding up his hand for a high five. Sighing with annoyance, Ivan held up his hand from beneath his cloak and slapped him a high five in a reluctant fashion.

"We work well as a team, it's almost like we can read each other's mind!" laughed Dale as Ivan pulled down his hood.

"Sure, whatever you say." Ivan responded without any enthusiasm, his expression blank like always. Dale let his smug grin fall away and allowed his angst to show.

"What happened to Xenia?"

"I'm not truly sure about this. Darren said nothing about it, he came and took her, that's for sure, for all the Guard smelled her; but we saw neither him nor her. He gave order for the Captain to intersect you if you were to head for the Keep. The Captain divided up the Guards into team, and I was in his group. The rest you know, I killed the other one that went into the dark with me and launched an attack at these two," Ivan indicated the two dead bodies at their feet with his forefinger, so apathetic that he seemed almost robotic.

"I have to admit, I couldn't have destroyed all five had someone else been in your place. I was glad when I smelled you." Said Dale, his eyes lingering in the direction of the Keep.

He knew that Ivan saw the worries in his eyes even as he tried to conceal it from him.

"Let us go then, the others will be here soon if we don't keep moving. It is best if they have not realized the bloodshed, but either way our best chance is crossing the line of defense before sunrise."

Dale nodded and took off without saying more, knowing that Ivan would follow close behind. He wished he had stayed by Xenia's side, he wished he had been a little more cautious… but it was a little too late. Now he wished he could save her before Darren decided to kill her.

My little sunshine…

**Author's Note**: I'm sooooo sorry that I haven't updated for like ever! But at least this chapter isn't short like the previous one. School is seriously killing me… Anyway, I spent a lot of time describing the room Xenia's in because I like it when my readers can imagine what it looked like, but I thought that it'd probably bore people so I didn't go into detail, so yeah! Please review, I really appreciate that!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Vision

Sadness crashed down upon her ruthlessly, she felt her heart tightened. She couldn't understand why, but she wanted to cry, to wail, to burst into tears that would fall like a thousand fragments of a shattered crystal ball. An enormous tapestry of a family portrait occupied the large space on the wall above the fireplace. The masterpiece was weaved together so ingeniously that the depicted subjects almost seemed alive and possessed by vivid energy. Every single thread displayed a significant detail, and as she watched, sparks of light seemed to vibrate across the tapestry. But none of that was what intrigued her – it was the people in the tapestry that caught her eyes.

A handsome young man stood beside a young woman, who sat with two angelic newborns in her lap. The man had golden hair that was strands of sunlight, his pale blue eyes were warm and sparkling with enthusiasm. He had the sharp features of a vampire, the smirk on his face displayed childish playfulness. The woman had strawberry-blond hair that fell in luxurious curls, her eyes were chestnut brown, and there was a dept to them, Xenia felt as if she could look forever into those eyes and never reach its heart. Her expression was soft with love and affection obviously for the man and her babies. The two infants seemed like porcelain dolls, their skin paler than snow. They both had golden hair like their father, and both were grinning joyfully to show their tiny fangs. They looked exactly the same except for their eyes. Crimson red against ocean blue – she could tell immediately that this was a family portrait of Dale's family.

She couldn't look away in all her awe and sorrow. Her eyes were locked upon the tapestry, she couldn't tear her gaze away. Xenia could feel herself falling, falling into shadows that shrouded Dale's world. The sadness that overwhelmed her, she thought she recognized it, it belonged to Dale, not her; it was his sorrow. It made her heart pound violently, and her head began to spin. Then it came, hatred sprouted as like a sudden burst of flame, gorging her in its heat. She felt great rage, a madness, an emotion so strong that it screamed in her chest, threatening to explode. She couldn't breath, she could feel herself suffocating; she tried to look away from the enchanted tapestry, but it drew her into its tragic story. Betrayal, loss, dread, emptiness… the amalgamate of horrifying emotions rolled and tumbled, searching for a way out of her being. She felt pain, pain that ate at her flesh, disintegrating her.

The girl screamed in fear, her own fear, not his; the tapestry melted into bright light, white light that stung her eyes. She managed to close her eyes, but the light pierced through her eyelids. Shadows danced before her. She saw the vague figure of a female, but she knew it was the woman in the tapestry, Dale's mother. She saw her falling into a pool of blood that was the eye of the demon. Another figure limped into sight, he was the man in the tapestry, she knew that. The figure limped toward the pool of red, clueless of what it beheld. Xenia screamed at the man, begging him not to go any further. But the figure took no notice in her warning. A shadow fell over him then, it tore at him, squeezing him. She heard a scream, a scream that cut into her soul. Cringing, she shook her head in attempt to be rid of the memory, the vision. But all she saw was the red eye of the fiend, the eye that brought death.

The last thing she remembered before the falling darkness was a horrifying scream, her own scream.

… _he has a… heartbreaking past… it upsets him to talk about it. _

_… he has a… heartbreaking past… _

_… a heartbreaking past… _

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"He's playing with us," Dale seethed, his expression twisted into loathing and disgust. "It's too easy, it's not like him."

"Be thankful that we encountered no enemy on our way here. It is certainly a game to him, and no doubt that this is trap, but we can still win. His disadvantage is that he knows not our exact location or what we will do next, he can only predict our moves using his understanding of you." Ivan said.

Dale sighed. Ivan always maintained his poise no matter the situation, it used to irritate him that his own recklessness was obviously pathetic next to Ivan's aplomb. But that indifference no longer bothered Dale, it consoled him even, for it was what he could rely on when he lost his calm.

"It's possible that Darren knows I am helping you, judging by how sharp and calculating he is… but I think it'd by better if we start doing this my way."

"… Fine then,"

Ivan chuckled softly and quickly smoothed his face back to nonchalance. "If we do it your way, I'm sure we'd be ramming the walls of the Keep by now."

Snorting, Dale looked away reluctantly from the Keep, which was just within his grasp. He was so close, so close. He could smell the scent she left behind just so very faintly, and just a little closer to the Keep, he would be able to sense her. But he was sure that Ivan would make him wait. The fear and angst was corroding his strength even now, but his hatred was feeding him more power, enough to make up for the strength he lost, and more.

"So what now?"

"We wait."

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**Drifting, floating… she wandered aimlessly through the moaning shadows, letting the wind carry her. She was drowning, but she couldn't die; there was no relieve of death, there was only torment. At the beginning, she screamed soundlessly and writhed in pain. It was a horrible feeling, a frightening sensation, being unable to breath, being suffocated. It was as if an invisible hand was strangling her, squeezing her lung and chest... the pressure was unbearable, it was terrifying, the agony. She had stopped thrashing by now, her body too weak to spring into a struggle again. Then there came the light, the dazzling light, expanding from a single spark into a shower of gold. She found herself able to breathe again, able to move. **

**She saw shadows, flakes and flakes of shadows. They fell like feathers, gently, slowly, each twirling and spinning in its own unique dance. They melted into clumps of amorphous darkness, rippling in the light. She saw. The clumps of shadows began to settle into defined shapes, human shapes, figures. Perhaps they were all vampires though, she recognized those shapes, they were in the tapestry weren't they? They danced, skipping nimbly across the golden light. Such beautiful dance, such elegant reverie… she followed the steps, the rhythm, and sank into the festive spirit. She swung and spun, and closed her eyes. **

**A scream yanked Xenia sharply from her ephemeral laughter. She gave a shudder and opened her eyes. Blood, crimson red blood, there was blood every where. It defaced the lovely light, and marred the shadows that lay in the sea of dwindling gold. She screamed, stumbling backward. The light began to shake; at first it was but a shiver, but instantly it burst into a violent earthquake, and the light shattered into myriad of pieces of crystal shards, they shimmered as they fell, like broken mirrors. She threw her arms over her head, shrieking in terror under the roaring storm of deadly broken lights. **

_As light crumbles, darkness rises…_

**He whispered in cruel laughter. She saw light again, not the golden sunlight of life, but the crimson red light of blood. The demon stood before her, looking down in satisfaction. She found herself once again suffocating in his fierce red gaze. **

_Lives are taken, for deaths are inevitable…_

**He stood back and vanished into the dark. Immediately she heard a woman scream, and she somehow knew who she was. **

"**NO!" Xenia cried in tears. **

**She heard the thud as her invisible body hit the ground. **

"**STOP IT!" She begged**

**A man screamed, it was a scream full of betrayal. And she knew who he was, too. **

"**PLEASE, STOP IT!" **

**The red-eyed demon laughed.**

"**How can you do this, to your own flesh and blood?" She sobbed in fear. **

**He didn't answer, but laughed in delight that made her sick. **

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Xenia slumped onto the ground and pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face in her palms. It was such a terrible nightmare, one of the past, one of darkness. She woke about an hour ago, finding herself lying on the thick carpet before the fireplace. Her body was stiff and limp, exhaustion had claimed her. Even now, an hour later already, she felt the effects of fatigue on her body. She couldn't understand what happened before she fainted, or why she had such foreboding dream. Something had changed since she arrived at this realm. These dreams seemed to a reflection of reality. The ones she had about Darren came true, so then was this one telling her something too?

"Don't be ridiculous," she sighed. It was fatuous - she could do no such thing. Predict the future? Catch a glimpse of the past? No way. If she was not so frightened and depressed, she would have been laughing at herself.

Sitting on the balcony did not help her as much as she thought it would. The balcony was in the shape of a semi circle with neatly carved railing, all made of the same material as the chamber that she would reside in for perhaps quite some time. She raised her head from her palms, leaning back against the stony railing, whose icy temperature stung her flesh. Peering dully into the sky again, she finally gave up any hope for the sun to grace her with its heavenly light. The lovely blue sky had lost its beauty, defaced by a mournful grimace. The dark clouds weaved against each other, collaborating to form a thick crust that hid the forever blue. There was light, yes, but it was not sunlight, but a strange white light so feeble that it could barely illuminate the world beneath the sky. Xenia could feel her strength attenuating, and her spirit dwindling; it must be the absence of the sun, she knew it in her very soul, that caused this pain and feeling of vacancy. Something told her that the sun would never rise in this land, and the golden light that gave life would never shine through the clouds. She wondered if she could manage to live through this darkness, if her life would begin to atrophy like her hopes and dreams.

The large doors across the balcony swung open slowly, she heard the soft groan of the heavy, ancient stone structure. Looking to her left toward the doors, she saw two inhumanly beautiful beings dancing across the room, one carrying a silver tray while the other followed behind with nothing in her hands. The taller girl, who carried the tray of food and refreshment, was apparently older than the shorter one, who trailed behind her with curious eyes. The older girl had dark hair that fell in a wavy fashion to her waist, her dark eyes flashed with a wintry light that was obviously a sigh of hostility and contempt. Her movements were elegant and cat-like, timid and careful. The younger girl was different, her features were softer and none as sharp as the taller girl; she had flame-red hair that struck out wildly in every direction, and her light blue eyes were large with playfulness that warned Xenia of a possible face to face encounter. They were both alabaster white and slender, having the beauty that would place any man under their spell. _Vampires_, Xenia hissed in her mind, her muscles tightening with the stress.

"So she's the girl Lord Darren brought back," the younger vampire chirped, eyeing Xenia with a grin as the older vampire placed the silver tray on the table before the fireplace.

The human girl watched the pair with alarm, her hands clenching into fists, hoping to anticipate any aggression from them. Suddenly the shorter vampire was standing over her, bending down as if to inspect her. Xenia froze, unsure what to do – judging by the circumstance that Darren placed her in, it was unlikely that the two vampires would attack her unless ordered by Darren himself; if she made the first move, she would only bring unnecessary danger upon herself. She stared at the vampire, still hesitating.

The vampire sniffed and giggled, turning her face to the other vampire girl.

"She smells really good! Don't you think, Ethelda? Do you think our Lord means for her to be supper? Or maybe he wants her to be his bride? After all it is unlike him to treat his meal with such care. Beside, she's pretty cute."

Her heart missed a beat. _What? His bride?_ She screeched the thought, horrified. _I'm only sixteen!_

Realizing how ridiculous the thought was, she would've laughed if not for the shock. _I should be worried about being married to a monster, not how young I am!_

"Don't be silly, Blaze," said Ethelda, who stood beside the tray of food with her arms crossed before her chest, watching the younger girl impatiently. She did not once lay her gaze upon Xenia, as if unaware of her existence at all.

Rolling her eyes, Ethelda continued.

"She's ugly. Even Lady Isavora is no match for our beauty, how can this pathetic creature capture our Lord's heart? Lord Darren would never take a human for his bride anyway, so leave the Lord's dinner alone, don't bestow such indignity upon yourself by – "

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?" Xenia screamed, shooting up from where she had been sitting, her hands clench into tight fists that her knuckles turned white. Her ire toward the impertinent vampire was palpable on her flaming face, which was lovely even as it was contorted in a vehement belligerence.

"Oh my, what a snappy little thing, no wonder Lord Darren didn't finish you off immediately, you sure makes things interesting around here!"

"Shut the hell up! I don't care who you are, or what you are, no one, I mean NO ONE, messes with me!"

"Well, well, you are a tough one. But how very sad, you don't really think you can win a fight against a vampire, do you, pitiful little human?"

"Oh, I can't possibly hope to win against such _mighty_ and _perfect_ being like _you_!" She seethed sardonically.

"But I'm gonna die anyway. So does it matter if I die now or later?" Xenia laughed coldly, glaring at Ethelda without a hint of doubt. She ignored her accelerating heart rate, her tight throat… _Death, isn't really such a hard thing to accept, is it? It's better to die at her hands, than beneath the fangs of that demon…_ It was strange, that she did not react with grief or terror toward the death to come. She was perhaps scared and nervous, unsure how painful it would be; but she was relieved… she would not be forced to gaze into those horrifying blood-red eyes again, she would have no more nightmares.

"Are you not afraid?" Ethelda sneered.

Suddenly, Xenia felt herself slammed against the stone wall, Ethelda's cold, slender fingers wrapped around her throat. She gasped for air as the vampire's hand tightened around her neck; she grimaced at the pain that squeezed her lung as she suffocated, but made no struggle against it. If death was to come, then let it come swift, so she could leave behind her memories without regret…

"Stop it, Ethelda, don't you remember what Lord Darren did to the last vampire that disobeyed him?" Blaze squealed in angst. Xenia felt the hand around her neck shuddered and loosened.

"It was so horrible…" The little vampire whimpered with a distant look of dread.

Xenia felt the shudder again, then the hand released her. She dropped onto her hands and knees, panting and gasping sharply, the sound of her shallow inhalation echoing in the large chamber.

The door opened.

Three heads turned all at once to face the newcomer, but only Xenia's expression revealed a trace of surprise and hostility. A girl, seeming perhaps one or two years older than Xenia herself, walked into the chamber hastily; Xenia made a note immediately that she was nowhere as beautiful as the two vampires that came into her room earlier, and nowhere as graceful. Of course, in the human realm the girl would have been the top American model that every man would lust after, but it was a different story in the vampire realm. Her face twisted into horror and shock as she witnessed the scene before her: two vampires standing over Xenia, who slumped onto the floor in exhaustion.

"What have you two been doing?" she demanded with definite authority.

Ethelda glared at the newcomer with cold eyes as if to debase her. Blaze, unlike her older companion, lowered her head immediately in greeting, seeming nervous and irritated. None of them made an attempt to reply.

"She is NOT to be hurt, do you two understand? If Lord Darren finds a single scratch, a bruise upon her, you will suffer dire punishments." The strange girl admonished with an underlying tone of unyielding threat.

"We apologize for our crude actions," Blaze squealed, tugging at Ethelda's sleeve, her eyes large and wide, appalled.

"Tell her we're sorry, that _you_ are sorry… Ethelda, say it!"

There was a period of silence as Ethelda continued to glare at the girl, her eyes display the conflict that raged inside her. Xenia realized that, somehow the vampire resembled herself, for both of them had pride too great that it forbid them a simple apology that would dissolve the tension of the situation.

The girl called Isavora sighed and shook her head, smiling faintly as if the two vampires were culpable young children too ashamed to admit to their deeds.

"It's alright, Blaze. You two have my permission to leave. Be warned, however, should you bring harm upon Lord Darren's guest, you shall find yourself among nightmares so dark that you cannot dream of it even."

Without further words, Blaze, dragging Ethelda behind her, scrambled out of the door in an instance.

Xenia pushed herself up unsteadily, and turned to face Lady Isavora, cautiously examining the ambiguous figure trying to determine whether she was a friend or foe.

The dark-haired beauty smiled amiably as if she had known Xenia her whole life.

"Hello there Xenia, you may ignore the formality with me and call me Isavora."

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**Author's Note**: I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I know this chapter is a little long and doesn't have a lot of action (I don't know about you guys but I love actions), but I'm doing this like I'm writing a book so this story is going to be somehow kinda long. I really hope you guys don't mind. I'm trying to get all the details in so… yeah. Well, I promise I'll have some actiony chapters up after this one, I can't wait to get Dale into my scenes!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Close Encounter

Xenia poked her breakfast with the silver fork absently as she listened to Isavora's apologies for Blaze and Ethelda, playing with the scrambled egg with mistrust. She meticulously inspected the food on the silver plate, for she had an instinctive suspicion toward the food brought by a vampire that nearly killed her just not long ago. Of course, she was starving, so hungry that she could feel a black void growing in her stomach, desperate to swallow whatever she fed it. The aroma of her breakfast filled her nostrils, tempting her to take the first bite, even if just a nibble. But she was resisting, for she wondered if she would gag on the toast, or choke on the butter – for all she knew, it could be poisoned. Isavora stopped at the middle of a sentence that Xenia missed in her struggle to decide whether the food was edible or not.

"The food is alright, do not worry yourself. Lord Darren had ordered the breakfast to be made and sent to your room, none would dare to defy him. You should eat, it would give you the energy you need." She said with a soft smile, soothing Xenia's agitated heart. It was strange really, for it felt as if Isavora was an old friend instead of a stranger. An immediate tranquility had overwhelmed Xenia as the new girl began to speak to her, and she felt that she could trust her and consult with her on matters of the heart. But she was careful to keep her distance, after all, Isavora worked for the red eyed demon.

No sooner did she started to consider, she realized that her body was moving on its own will, picking up chunks of food from the plate and feeding it to her moving mouth. She ate freely then, too immersed in satisfying her hunger to think anymore.

"Lord Darren wishes to give you his greeting. He hopes that you would enjoy your morning."

"Morning?" Xenia swallowed a mouthful of toast and huffed, holding herself against a shiver. She raised an eyebrow in question and jerked her thumb toward the balcony, where the grim sky was pressing down.

"Oh, that. You see, a large part of this realm is like this, with thick, impenetrable clouds shielding the land from the sun. Legend has it that the sun used to shine down at every corner of the earth, but the greatest forefather of the vampire race, called Salifus, created the clouds so to provide the vampires a safe place where they could roam under the open sky at any time without being in danger of being burnt to ash by the sunlight. However, a small part of the Dark Forest, that is where Lord Darren had found you - "

"Don't you mean _**kidnap**_?" Xenia sniffed and rolled her eyes with obvious aversion for the male vampire, hiding the awe she felt toward the demon.

Isavora smiled sympathetically but ignored the complaint, continuing her explanation.

"A small part of the Dark Forest is neglected by the clouds, however. In that part, sunlight is available to the earth, and so that is what we call a Light Zone."

Xenia nodded, understanding now why it was so dark in the morning.

She sent a spoonful of what tasted like chicken soup into her mouth, satisfied with what she considered to be a sumptuous breakfast. All she had ever had for breakfast before was orange juice and a protein bar, and especially after a few days of surviving on fruits, this seemed to be a luxury to her.

"You aren't a vampire are you?" She asked suddenly as it came to her mind.

The dark-haired girl shook her head softly, smiling with approbation.

"So you've noticed. You are even sharper than I thought, so keen eyed, I must say."

"Why are you here then? I mean, I wouldn't stick around and get glared at by vampires all day. It's like living in a nightmare, you never know when they're going to lose it and bite you."

Isavora withdrew into herself then, Xenia could feel her sudden shift of mood as bitterness seeped into the atmosphere, like a contagious gloom. It was grief and despair, something Xenia was now more familiar with than ever.

_And so there is a storm raging inside everyone_. She thought with distraught, sighing.

"Have you ever… fallen in love?" Isavora asked suddenly, looking up to meet her eyes.

Xenia wasn't sure what it was that she saw in Isavora's lavender eyes, those sincere and wary eyes, disguising the storm inside her. It was as if looking through foggy windows bedimmed by the innocence of youth. Only sixteen, an inexperienced soul plagued by the remaining childishness, a free spirit that never had a broken heart, she couldn't reach Isavora's tortured soul because she didn't understand love, not love for a family member or a friend, but love for someone that was neither.

The young girl shook her head.

"What about Dale?" the mourning lady asked softly, smiling dully as if immersed in her own dream.

"Dale? You can't be serious. He's a total jerk and there is no way, I mean _**no way**_, that I can ever love him."

Xenia looked away, unwilling to meet the other girl's eyes. What she said was more reactionary than how she really felt; in truth, she began to see now, she liked him a great deal. She had always hated arrogant brats like him, but strangely, she actually enjoyed arguing with him – it made life a lot more exciting than it was. But she was certain that she felt nothing more for him but sheer affection between friends… or at least she convinced herself that it was true.

Isavora didn't say anything. She stood from the patch of carpet she had occupied by the short table, taking the empty silver tray with her.

"I trust that you enjoyed your meal?"

"Oh… yeah. Thanks."

"Lord Darren expects you at dinner today. Please, clean yourself. The bathing chamber is to the left of the vanity, and in the room to the right you will find clothing and accessories to your likings, I hope. Lord Darren has acquired that you dress in the gown he picked for you yesterday, and I will come again this afternoon too see that you are dressed well for the occasion, and help you with your hair and makeup if you'd like."

"What if I refuse to go?" she seethed defiantly even though she already knew the answer.

Isavora didn't answer, she seemed to have sensed the dread that Xenia was trying to defeat by standing up in hopeless attempt against the path she was coerced to take; she could tell that Isavora knew that she would go.

The girl with raven-black hair left then; before the door lazily swung shut completely, Xenia heard her whisper.

"I hope there will be a happy ending for the two of you."

And she knew who Isavora were referring to by that.

* * *

What little light in the world had dwindled as the seconds ticked by. The mirror was a pool of black water, so silent and still that it sent a shiver down her spine. The girl in the mirror had brown hair that fell just a little below her shoulders; it was the color of the earth, highlighted by strands of gold and orange that she was born with – her hair was the colors of autumn. It fell straight and smooth, tamed by the little moister left since her ablution. Her eyes were the color of the flush of grass in spring, green and piercing. They had lost their usual luster, however, because of the trepidation and dread that rammed mercilessly at her spirit.

She stared blankly at her reflection with a feeling of antipathy; the girl in the mirror was stiff, and she carried desperation about her. Fear and unrest were obvious on her face, her wide open eyes shone darkly with disconcert. She was completely discomposed, frantic, like a trapped doe trembling before its hunter. She hated herself for it, for her weakness. Why could she not find her courage? Why could he bring her to her knees with but a quick gaze into the eyes?

She shook her head vigorously, the girl in the mirror emulated her. The panic was still there.

It was hard to believe; a few hours ago she was still chatting freely with Isavora, ignoring his existence. But now that she was about to walk down the corridors and flights of stair to meet the fiend, she could no longer retreat into the immunity of her own world, no longer pretend that he wasn't there. No matter how she chose to avoid him, he was there, in the shadows, watching her, terrorizing her; there was no way out. Fate had forced her into a maze, but no matter which twists and turns she chose to take, she would eventually come to the center; the beast would be waiting patiently there, knowing she would come to him helplessly – she could see no egress to escape the insatiable darkness that would endeavor to swallow her light relentlessly.

Xenia sighed, brushing her bangs aside. She looked at her reflection in the mirror again, wondering how her life had become something he could toy with.

"He's waiting." said Isavora, poking her head through slightly opened door.

She nodded absently. The girl in the mirror stared back at her, reluctance palpable in her gently furrowed brows. She wore a blood-red gown, which complimented her pale skin. It was silk, soft and soothing like the caress of a gentle ocean wave. The gown, she had to admit, was an elegant thing.

It was strapless, cutting low down her back; the gown left most of her back bare, and to her dislike it was showing more of her chest than she was normally accustomed to. A golden emblem of some sort was embroidered upon the chest of the gown, and the same pattern was repeated all along the hem of the gown, glamorizing it. But the gown didn't suit her at all, however beautiful it was. She thought someone like her would seem rather ridiculous accoutered in such extravagance; such thing was only fit for one such as Isavora.

"You look wonderful." the dark-haired girl marveled, eyeing Xenia with an impressed smile.

"Yeah right." Xenia shuffled uncomfortably in her high heeled shoes, which she loathed with a fiery fire.

She wasn't beautiful, she was plain, nothing special. But she didn't care – she wasn't one of the shallow girls that needed to find confidence in their looks. But standing next to Isavora, she couldn't help but pity herself; she was a girl after all.

She took a deep breath and without further demurring, she turned away from the mirror and followed Isavora out.

At the first step she took out of the chamber she had been kept in, her heart tightened. She followed silently, sweeping past the empty corridors and down the lonely flights of stairs. They took numerous turns that made Xenia dizzy with confusion. She focused on remembering the route they took, hoping it would later come in handy if she tried to flee. But the attempt was useless, for she was already exhausted from following the flickering candlelight in the dark, it took all she had to not stray away from her guide; she could not spare enough attention to the layout of the Keep.

The frail light stopped suddenly, Xenia almost bumped into Isavora, whose figure was as dark as their surrounding.

"Listen," the older girl turned, illuminating her face with the faint light she carried in her hand. Xenia could see concern and guilt in her sincere eyes, and it only made her angst grow.

"Don't worry about anything, he won't hurt you, I can promise you that. I am sorry for what you have to go through… if I could redo it, I would've done differently."

"What do you mean - "

The door cracked open with a loud squeak. Xenia instantly forgot her puzzlement as her body tensed instinctively with alarm.

"You are safe, Xenia, don't worry about anything." Isavora said, looking away in unwillingness to meet her eyes, but Xenia could read from her movement that the comfort she offered was a false illusion.

"I am sorry." The girl melted into the dark, the candlelight vanished.

Xenia didn't miss the tremor in her voice.

She watched the enormous panes swung open slowly, their ancient squeaks haunting her as they echoed in the spacious yet empty hall. The dull, lethargic light crawled out of the dining hall and onto Xenia's gown, as like a prisoner prowling his way out of the dungeon's metal cage when the gate was opened.

She swallowed and closed her eyes.

_Poise, Xenia, find your poise_.

She opened her eyes, pulling her mouth into a brave line and let what little mettle she had burn in her eyes.

Without further hesitation, she stepped into the hall.

She found herself in a noir ambience; the lighting was sadly poor in the rectangular chamber, but she imagined that her little sister would've called it romantic. The crystal chandelier seemed to be the only source of light, it glistered softly as the candles' flame flickered. The room seemed almost vacant. Across from the doors was a large terrace framed by thick velvet curtains like the ones she saw in her given room. The long table was placed in the center of the room, upon it sat plates of food that drew no appetite from her.

_Do vampires eat too?_ She wondered.

"Hello there, my little wildflower." His excited hiss startled her from behind. Before she could turn around, she felt his arms around her waist, pulling her against his adamant chest. She made no struggle, the cold from his body paralyzed her, and it was his very touch that roused the fear she had managed to oppress just a few seconds ago. She stopped breathing. Her body was no longer under her command.

"Remember to breathe, darling, you are only a human after all." The vampire chuckled darkly and lowered his head, planting a kiss below her jaw. He nuzzled her, displaying derision for her helplessness. She could feel his cold breath brushing against her skin, tingling her.

Xenia shivered, her hands balled into tight fists. Anger was good, it was the perfect replacement for her courage.

"You certainly look lovely, definitely ravishing… I see… we might have some trouble keeping you safe… most vampires have difficulty controlling their hunger - "

Xenia pushed away from him, thankful that he did not insist to hold on to her. She turned to him with a face enveloped by disdain and enmity. No voice came, and there were no words. She didn't trust herself to speak, she needed time to nourish what little pride she had.

Darren laughed coldly, eyeing her with contempt. He vanished and reappeared beside the seat at the head of the dining table, pulling it out and motioning with his hand for her to sit. She could tell that he was demonstrating his power to her, his speed and agility, his strength and power; he wanted her to know, wanted her to see that she was in his firm grip, under his control completely.

She hesitated, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of overpowering her. But was there any other choice? Reluctantly, she went to him and sat, eluding any chance of meeting his eyes. He grinned triumphantly, baring his fangs in delight. She could see the white fangs glistering in the soft light, and she could already imagine them tearing into her flesh, slicing across her tender jugular…

"Why do you fear me so?" the vampire asked, amused and playful, much to Xenia's disgust.

"I am NOT afraid of you!"

"Oh really? Simply from the way you tense when I draw closer, when I touch you… I can see very clearly what goes on in your thoughts, and when I look into your eyes, your bright and beautiful eyes, I can see through the mist into the abyss where you hide your fear. You can't fool me, little sunshine, I can read your every thought just by listening to your little human heart flutter like the wings of a helpless, caged sparrow."

She didn't respond to his mockery, she only glared and clutched a fistful of her gown in her hands.

"I don't understand, however, why you should fear me so. Is it because I am a bloodsucker? Certainly not, I don't think - you don't seem to fear my ignorant brother at all, and he is a vampire. What is it that you find so distasteful in me? I wonder. I have everything Dale has, and much more, beside, since when have I done you wrong except treating you like a queen?"

"You are a monster."

"And why would you suppose that? I've done nothing wrong!"

She grimaced at his twisted smirk, remembering the tortured souls he held in the past…

"You killed your family… didn't you?"

"Ahhhh…" The vampire exclaimed, leaning over her from behind. There was no trace of surprise upon his face, there was, instead, what seemed to her to be satisfaction.

She felt his breath on her neck then, just below her ear. He sniffed, she could feel his lips stretching into a smile on her skin. She felt sick – she couldn't breathe again.

"Now, now, that isn't completely true is it? That bastard brother of my is still alive out there. But how would you know I killed the others?"

"… lucky guess?" she choked on the words, it was barely that she squeezed them through her tightened throat.

"Or did you see it in your dreams?"

She drew in a sharp breathe, a tremor ran down her spine, it was as if she had been shot. Darren laughed jubilantly as if he had just reopened an old scar that he had know was there all along.

_How does he know? How…_

"I see into your soul, darling, you can hide nothing from me. I see your secrets, your desires, everything. I would know if you speak a lie, so tell me the truth – you see things in your dreams, isn't that so?"

She trembled uncontrollably, staring into the air before her vacantly.

_How does he know? How…_

He placed his hands gently on her bare shoulders, squeezing in anticipation. She recoiled violently, standing up with such force that she knocked the chair to its back. Before the heavy chair crash into the marble floor she had already whirled around to face him, meeting his eyes in horror.

"You c… can't possibly, you can't know that! It… it's …" She squeaked, her heart pounding against her chest, blood rushed frantically, fear… fear consumed her entire being, she could no longer control herself.

"So I was right all along… such a pity too, I would have spared you, but there isn't enough time to find another."

He hissed, his intimidating devilish grin sent her stumbling backward. With every step she took backward, he took a step forward, matching her rhythm. Her back bumped against something hard and cold, and she knew she had nowhere to go – behind her was the bars of the cage that trapped her, before her was the lion that hunted her; she was the lamb, the prey, the powerless.

He was so close, so close… their clothes brushed and rustled softly, she could feel the cold radiating from his body.

"What do you want from me?" she sobbed, eyes wide with fear as she fell into the two pools of blood.

He chuckled, lifting a hand to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers. She shivered, a single drop of tear spilled and fell on his sleeve.

"I want nothing _from_ you." He whispered, lowering his head with darkness in his blood red eyes.

"It is _you_ that I want."

Then he kissed her.

* * *

**  
Author's Notes**: I'm soooooooo terribly sorry about not updating for like a thousand years (and forgive me for the spelling mistakes if you see any), but the finals are coming up and I really HAVE to study. Seriously, I'm taking all my big exams next week, so stop hating me!!! Anyway I'll try to update faster next time (but I'm not making any promises, just in case I can keep them…) and oh I hope you guys like the chapter, yes Darren's a jerk, I hate him too. 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Exploited

Xenia stepped onto the balcony, twisting back to be sure no one was in the chamber with her; but then how could she be sure when vampires were known to cloak themselves in the shadow? It was useless to worry, it was either succumb to her fate or fight for her life. She placed her hands on the stone railing. It did not feel cold beneath her palms, but that was only because her hands were so icy that she could barely feel anything. The frosty air seemed to be amused as it brushed harshly against her bare skin, chilling her blood. She hated it, this horrible place, bereaved of light and warmth, she wanted out. Tears slipped down either side of her face, they were silent as like the night, it was only when they fell onto the railing did she hear the gentle splash. The touch of his lips… she could never forget it. Her stomach turned and tightened as the memory of it played again and again before her eyes, no matter how much she wanted to shut it away. His fangs grazed the inside of her lower lip, threatening to bite down, his tongue caressing hers… his kiss tasted of blood. The taste of blood still lingered in her mouth, every time she swallowed it felt as if she drank a mouthful of blood, thick, sticky blood. It made her sick.

She leaned over the railing, letting the stone press into her belly, and looked down. With dismay, she found herself staring down at the vast forest, whose outline was buried in the darkness that consumed the entire land. By her estimation, she was at least ten stories above the forest; it seemed impossible for her to climb down all the way – she was only a human.

But this was the only chance she had. A vampire clasped in black had burst through the doors of the dinning hall just as Darren's lips left hers. He apparently brought some important news that tore Darren's attention from her. The Vampire Lord had then sent for Isavora to accompany Xenia to her chamber, and he himself vanished in urgency. Xenia was so overwhelmed by relief that she almost collapsed on the ground right then, but she managed to make it to her room despite her exhaustion. She was grateful to the vampire that came to report to Darren, even though it was certainly done unintentionally – no doubt Darren would have pushed further had he not interrupted… She shivered and sobbed, the fear was too much for her.

This was her chance, perhaps the only one she would get; something happened that was important enough to distract him, and most likely the entire Keep had turned its focus upon something other than her. With his watchful eyes turned away from her, she might be able to slip away quietly. She could make her escape.

Wiping away her tears, she went back into the chamber. She grabbed a fistful of the thick, velvet curtain, which framed the opening that led from the inside of the room to the terrace. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her strength and yanked as hard as she could at the curtain in hope to tear the cloth down. To her disappointment, the curtain stayed perfected attached to its fixtures. The girl turned back and took a brief glance at the comforter and the bed sheet. It seemed hopeless to her, and so she reconsidered her plan.

_Maybe I could… NO! _The idea was pushed away all too soon – there was no way she could travel within the Keep without been noticed; there was no way she could find a way out of the maze-like construction.

She had to climb down the enormous structure.

With a frustrated frown, Xenia turned back to the curtain and pulled again, yanking and tugging harshly with growing agitation. She would make a rope out of any cloths she could gather in the room, perhaps she would succeed.

The curtain seemed just as stubborn as her, unwilling to give in. It did not rip, the fabric had not one tear on it despite her relentless attacks. It showed no sign of fatigue, resisting every single forceful tug she applied on it.

Then she stopped dead, wide-eyed. Her heartbeat quickened for no reason, she froze. A brush against her bare shoulder, it was a cold touch. She yelped, whirling around instinctively, fear gripping her heart in its claws. But it fell away like dust the instance she saw him, there was so much shock and joy that she could barely suppress a scream in time. He placed a finger on her lips, signaling for silence. The grin on his face dazzled her, her heart beat frantically at the uncontainable bliss and relief.

"Well?" he raised an eyebrow teasingly, "I'm expecting something like 'Ohhhhh, my hero!' or 'So gallant you are, my royal knight,' but a simple kiss shall do also!"

"Just keep dreaming, it's never going to happen!" she laughed, looking up at Dale's familiar face, meeting those wondrous blue eyes. She didn't know why she came to feel this way every time she was in his presence, she wanted nothing more… nothing more than to close her eyes and sink into his embrace, in his arms she would be immune to any harm, all the hurt…

"You are so full of yourself, aren't you?" she smiled, her voice soft, like when the summer breeze sang against the flowing branches of a willow tree.

He did not answer.

The air turned icy cold, and she shivered. Her smile died away when she sensed his sudden shift of mood.

"What's wr - "

"You've been crying." He reached up slowly and touched her cheek, tracing the streaks of dried tears that stained her skin.

She turned her face away, looking at the floor so she wouldn't see him sneer. But he didn't mock nor tease her, instead she heard him snarl, a sound more terrifying than that of an angry lion's roar; it was so full of fervent fury and fiery hatred that it frightened her.

She looked up and shuddered at the cold that masked his face; his hands were balled into tight fists and his body was shaking with rage.

"D – Dale?"

"What did he do to you?" he snapped at her, his voice dark and unsteady.

"Dale…"

"Did he hurt you?"

"I - "

"He will pay with death, I swear it." He seethed, his eyes glowing.

She flinched.

"How dares he - " he stopped, finally noticing the fear that vibrated through her body.

His eyes softened, and he unclenched his fists, sighing.

"I'm sorry… I just can't bear - " pain tore at his beautiful face, it was something she could not understand – why was he hurting? Did he care for her enough to feel pain for her?

"Never mind," he shook his head and took her hand, pulling her onto the semi-circle-shaped balcony. He carried a stiff expression, showing no anger or resentment, but the fire in his eyes did not escape her.

As if he had done this all his life, he wrapped his right arm around her waist and pressed her to his chest.

"Wrap your arms around my neck." He ordered quietly, lifting her off the ground.

Before she could argue, he put her down again, stepping back. His eyes traveled from her head to her toe, and quickly back to her face.

"That gown would only slow you down, go change." He stipulated.

She didn't answer, she only stared. The anguish and rage he was trying to conceal plagued her with qualm and desperation; all of a sudden she felt as if Dale would crumble the very moment she turned her back. She didn't want to leave him, not when devastation seemed so real in his eyes.

"Dale, please just calm down… he hasn't done anything serious to me…"

"Maybe not, but he's done something to you." He seethed through gritted teeth, his fists clenched again.

"I smell him **all**, **over**, **you**."

She shivered, tears began to well. Her lips tingled, she could still feel his kiss, so cold and bitter, the kiss of the cruelest winter snow.

Dale grabbed her arm in a coarse manner and yanked her to him, wrapping his arms around her body. He held her so tightly that she could not breathe properly, but Xenia didn't care – she felt safe, immune to any harm in his embrace. She buried her face in his chest, letting her muffled sobs echoed softly in the enormous chamber.

_Please… don't let go… hold me… don't let go…_

"There, there, it's alright, Xenia. I'll get you out of here soon." He allayed, kissing her hair.

"Now, go find something more suitable for travel. Although I would certainly regret not seeing you in that gown, you do look so very lovely in it." He pulled back and released her from the circle of his arms, smiling softly.

She gave a quiet laughter that almost sounded like a choke, and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. Without another word she turned away from him and hurried toward the closet. Her brief smile had vanished. Even as he teased her, she could sense the emotions he hid from her; she had tried so hard to catch a glimpse of what was beyond the wall, but all she could see was the steel surface of that wall, a wall he had unconsciously built to hide who he really was. Would he ever tear it down and allow her to take part in his world? Or would it forever separate them?

_Please… don't ever… let go of me_...

* * *

Dale watched as the human girl disappeared behind the doors of the closet, biting his lower lip until it bled beneath his sharp fangs. 

_My sweetest… _

He wanted to extinguish his rage, but being in his mother's private studies only allowed the fire to grow.

_First our parents, and now her…_

He stepped away from the balcony and merged with the shadows in the chamber. The room held much memories, good ones and bad ones, memories he forced himself to lock away a long time ago. He couldn't help but remembered how he use to lie beside the fireplace while his mother, the Queen, read him fairytales from a book she brought to the Keep. He remembered the his father, who was more like a mischievous young man than the King of Vampires, use to sit by the Queen when she explained energy of the living, even though he barely seemed to understand anything about magic. They would laugh and dance, they had never fought like most human couples. Together, he was… so happy… and he thought Darren was happy as well… who knew he would turn on his own blood…

One single step into this room, all his agony and sorrow were awaken. Bitter memories flashed into his mind, he could see blood and death; remembering happiness only brought more pain. For twenty years he had nourished his hatred, for it gave him strength to continue his life despite his broken heart. He thought by hating, he could become stronger, so strong that he would one day rise and defeat his enemy, but he realized now that it only left him emptiness; hatred had stripped him of all purposes other than vengeance. He became lost, caught in the wheel of fate and destiny, aiming for only one thing – the death of his twin brother.

For so long he had lived in that very moment when devastation befell his world and not even realize that he had trapped himself in the past; and so the guilt he felt for failing to protect his parents and the grief he felt for their deaths slowly grind his spirit into dust, bestowing upon him endless torture he could barely endure. In these twenty years, each passing minute carried away a small part of what he once was and what he had been; the past nibbled away what was left of him until he came near to collapsing in exhaustion. He was so tired, so spent, all the pain and animus became heavy weights pressing down on his soul, he knew that the moment he chose to acknowledge them fully, he would be crushed, driven insane.

He did not become stronger, no, instead he became weak by hating; there was no longer depth to his strength, he could break so very easily.

He had been blind, so oblivious that he did not see what he had become. Drifting in the dark, he could not see the truth hidden behind the clouds. That was, until a light broke through the clouds. She showed him happiness, something he had almost forgotten. He began to see, in the dark water he found a piece of driftwood to hang on to. He wasn't alone anymore.

He didn't know why she had came to mean so much to him, but if anything was to bereave him of her, he would break; his world would fall to pieces.

He would not allow Darren to take anything more from him, not a chance.

The vampire turned to the tapestry above the fireplace and bowed slightly, his eyes glowing with new determination.

"Soon, father, mother, soon." Dale whispered.

"I shall take back what should have been mine, and you shall see justice to the crime committed against you."

The doors to the closet opened with a soft squeak, and he turned to see Xenia emerging from it. Taking a deep breathe, Dale looked back to the tapestry of his family.

"I vow upon the name of Salifus," he said sternly.

"I will not fail to protect those I love. I swear it."

* * *

"Send a group of ten guards to the East Wall, but instruct them to stay put, I like my preys alive and unscratched." The Vampire Lord ordered the guard standing by his side, dispatching him before he turned back to the human that knelt between two other Royal Guards.

Isavora sighed and turned away, her heart fluttering at the memory of bloodshed and slaughter. _What has he become_…

"Well, well, the Great Slayer, isn't it? The legendary Vampire Hunter, once feared by my kind; look at you now, nothing but a wasted old man. It is hard to believe that you have become so undignified as to exchange your glorious pride for your life."

"Whatever do you mean?" The human snarled fiercely, showing little fear for Darren.

The vampire made a ghastly chortle.

"You accepted help from a vampire, one of your sworn enemies, did you not? You would not expect me to believe that a mere human - "

"**VAMPIRE HUNTER**!" the human roared, only to be ignored by the vampire before him.

"That a mere human could break free from the Dungeon of the Vampirovia Keep? How absurd."

The former hunter laughed coarsely. Isavora could hear in his laughter the acceptance of his death. Having spent so many years as captive of darkness, his hopes must had died; to have a chance to live, then being torn way from that hope… it must had broken his spirit, for she knew the stubborn Slayer before his captivity was not the one to give up... that was, until now. She could not watch.

"Now, tell me who released you, and I shall make your death swift and painless." Darren demanded coldly, his smile as venomous as a snake slithering through the depth of night.

The human shook his head, his grey beard swung stiffly as he went. "The stones that form my prison are thick with spells, and the darkness there is a slough none can climb out of, so it must be that someone released me. Hear me, I have lost everything, but I have still the gratitude to the one that released me from my cell. He released me because it was to his advantage, that I know, but nonetheless because of him I can bathe in fresh air. Death, that is my fate, and there is no escape. So do what you like to me, but I have the last bit of honor to carry this mystery to my grave."

"Very well then." Darren huffed.

The shapeshifter gasped and whirled around, trying to grab her Lord. But it was too late, for she had none of the agility and speed that vampires had.

The man screamed, a scream that would terrify the stars in the sky and shock the dragons out of their nests miles away. She turned away once again and placed her hands over her ears, shaking in fear and grieving for the Slayer. She heard bones snapping beneath the hideous scream, she heard him thrashing on the dirt.

"Please, make it quick…" she moaned softly.

She knew Darren heard her, knew he did as she pleaded, because the scream died.

She did not turn around, she dared not set her eyes upon the scene behind her.

Darren was by her side then, she didn't need to look to know. He sighed apathetically and licked his fingers, which were stained by bright red blood.

"Ohhh, dearest Isavora, it surprises me you still find the sport frightening. It would have been fun to force you to watch." He said in mockery.

"Why did you stop then?"

Irritated, she strode away from him, knowing that he could easily run ahead of her.

_Why do you like to hurt me? I exchange my love… only for your wintry words…_

"Because I have better things to do than torture that pathetic soul. I would really prefer to save my menace for my brother." He chuckled, now a step in front of her, taking on the role to lead.

They walked in a fast pace, sweeping past halls and doors of the Keep. Behind them, a few vampires bent over the dead body of the human, sucking out his cooling blood while it was still fresh. She pitied the vampires that lived in the Keep, just a little. All the Guards and servants fed on bags of blood that came from generous donation of the oblivious humans, who thought their blood would be used in surgeries. They were not given the chance to periodically enter the human realm and hunt for fresh blood because the vampires selected into the Keep were bound to it as long as they wanted to keep their jobs; being able to serve the King of the vampire race was a great honor won by few, therefore most chose to sacrifice the privilege and thrill of hunting humans. And so whenever there was a chance to taste fresh blood, they would become savages and tear their preys into pieces, a scene that Isavora had managed to avoid seeing during her time with Darren.

But she could imagine it now, the broken body of the once famous Great Slayer being torn to shreds, the vampires each holding a piece of him to savor the sweet taste of blood… She shuddered.

"Cold?" Darren asked, his tone frivolous and without a trace of care or concern.

She didn't answer on the matter.

"You know who he is, isn't that right? You know who released the hunter."

"Oh yes, my little raven. I am fairly certain that it was him, that lonesome shadow you have found companionship in."

She stiffened, her brows furrowed in angst.

"Worried about him, are you not?" he huffed, there was anger in his voice that she could not understand.

He whirled around suddenly, causing her to bump into his firm body. With a shiver she stumbled back, blinking in confusion. His face was lit in cold rage and disdain, something she did not see often, for he always had such control over his emotions…

"I will make him pay, Isavora, I will eliminate anyone you dare to befriend, I will torment them in the most grotesque fashion that even you cannot imagine." He slammed her against the wall, forcing her to look deeply into his burning eyes. She did not tremble, did not cry out. She was not afraid of him… because she loved him…

"You answer to me and me alone, I shall not have you affected by any other." He growled in a dark voice, letting her go and headed for the East side of the Keep, walking slow enough for her to keep up by running.

She scrambled down the hall behind him, her heart sinking deeper into the dark water that engulfed her since she fell in love with him.

"Please…"

"We shall go meet my brother and the lovely Xenia." He commanded harshly.

"And I shall see to it that treacherous friend of yours be punished."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sorry it took so long to update, I was a little lazy… I know, you all probably hate me now… PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!!!!!!!! Well, hope you guys like this chapter, just to clear it up, Darren did care about Isavora (that's the reason he went crazy on her), but in what way you will have to find out later. You'll see it a lot more clearly later on. That's all for now, thanks for those who have been constantly reviewing, I do appreciate it.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – What She Will Be

As if he had done this a thousand times, he quickly sprinkled the powder into each pouch. The pouches were made of material that was similar to the texture of the human flesh, this way vampires that served in the Keep could at least enjoy the rush other vampires would achieve when they bit into the necks of their victims. The Hunter should hinder the Royal Guards long enough for him to finish his task then go meet Dale and Xenia.

But he couldn't focus.

His mind was plagued by thoughts of Isavora. Beside Dale, Isavora was the only friend Ivan had. To her, he was a dear friend; to him, she was a sister he had never had. His heart never stopped bleeding for her, the fallen angel. _Such art that the devil has_, he hissed beneath his breathe, _that an angel descends for him_. He seldom showed it, but the hatred was there, perhaps not as deep as the animus Dale held, but it was strong. He detested the way Darren treated Isavora, hated that she was willing to give her life for him even though she knew it, too. He had swore a long time ago, he vowed to save her, from Darren and from herself… that day had come, a chance he quickly grasped.

The seemingly callous vampire tied the string around the mouth of the leather bag that had held the white powder, and stuffed it in the pocket of his coat.

Then he disappeared out of the door, leaving it to slowly settle back to its frame.

_So let the game begin_…

* * *

He watched the girl slither out of the closet, wearing a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt with a diagonal slash of red across its front. He eyed her suspiciously then realized that Darren must had thrown away her old clothes and supplied her with a full closet of new clothing. He couldn't help but wonder what Darren's purpose was that it drove him to go through so much trouble for the human girl. What did he want with her? He shook his head – it wasn't the time to think of it. 

"Can you believe it?" she said as she came before him, extending her arms to the side, and looked down at herself.

"These things fit me perfectly!" she exclaimed with a surprised smile.

He said nothing. There was no smile in her eyes, no playfulness. One look at her told him she didn't care about how the clothes fit her, she was simply trying to lighten the atmosphere. He could tell that she knew - she knew from his silence that he did not believe the smile on her face. Her arms dropped to her sides, but she did not raise her head, she kept her eyes on the floor, where all her pretense had fell down to. It was then he noticed how much smaller she seemed than when he first met her… Within no more than two days, she had became so frail… what had been done to her?

"Time to get out of here." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She nodded and circled her arms around his neck as he lifted her up, with a few seconds of hesitation, she then wrapped her legs around his waist.

The heat from her body was almost unbearable, she was burning like the sun against his skin, burning like she never had before. He stood for a few moments, dazed from the impact of her touch… he was burning, too…

He groaned – now was not a good time. Hissing at himself, he forced his feet to carry him toward the terrace.

"It's safer this way," he explain as he nimbly climbed over the stone railings of the terrace.

"I can climb faster, and I can definitely catch you if you fall."

Her arms tightened around his neck and her legs around his waist. He didn't need to look to see her squeezing her eyes shut. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, fighting down a shiver that he nevertheless felt vibrating through her limps.

"It's alright, you are safe with me." He coaxed, even though he knew she had to face one more terror before they could escape from this place.

"I'm not scared."

He laughed softly at her protest, it sounded like the whimper of a butterfly trapped on a spider's web.

He made his way down, one foot then the other, followed by his hands. The wind rushed by them, the speed with which he was moving downward was inhuman, and he could tell it awed her. Silence caught the air, they said nothing after her pitiful objection.

Fear – that was what shushed them. He was afraid for her life, and she was still haunted by those crimson eyes.

Minutes ticked by, and finally his right foot came into contact with the earth.

And it was at that very second that he sensed the lions closing in upon their preys.

_Now the hard part comes, what's next?_

* * *

A shudder ran down her spine, and she panicked. She didn't need to be a vampire like Dale to tell that danger was near – she could feel darkness moving in for its kill. She could almost feel her lips tingling from the kiss he forced upon her, and she shook with fear and anger. Dale said nothing, he simply set her down on the ground. His face was cold with animus that he was straining to control, she could tell he wanted to let lose of the beast residing inside him, but he was fighting his desire. 

He shifted in front of her, blocking her view of what was to come. She did not argue; his figure seemed to grow larger before her eyes, and her heart began to slow down. She would not admit it to anyone, not even herself, but the immunity she felt was real. She realized that she was not alone, she was up against death by herself. There was a tree that stood between the wild flower and the storm, its wind and rain beating in a harmonized melody, howling and screaming. The tree never swayed, she observed, and so the flower stood tall and brave. There was still sunlight on the other side, her tree sheltered her from the black clouds that raped the sky that had been a lake of pure blue.

She bit down on her lips and reached out to touch the arm of the solid figure before her. He looked back briefly and gave her a smile of reassurance. She felt relieved, even though it was not likely they would escape. In the shadow cast by the wall of the Keep, she spotted the demonic red eyes. A shiver ran down her spine, but refused to let fear consume her.

_I will be strong, too… _

"My sweet, honorable maiden," Darren hissed in delight, stepping out of the shadow. Isavora trailed behind him, her shoulders slumped in dismay.

"I am not your whatever!" she growled, her face flaming as she realized that she sounded like a new born pup trying to establish his supremacy over the other pups.

"Running away with my brother?" he laughed.

Before her, she saw Dale's hands clenched into tight fists.

"If this whole thing is about me and you, then leave her out of it, we can settle this the other way." Dale stated, his voice clam but cold and hard like the walls surrounding the Keep.

Darren chuckled and shook his head. Clucking his tongue.

"It's not about you and I, don't you see? It's over, Dale, there is nothing more to be done between you and I, unless you would rather die than live."

Xenia felt her brows furrowed in confusion – what were they talking about? She couldn't help but guess that it had something to do with the death of their parents – their death by Darren's hands.

"No, my brother, it is all about her, it has nothing to do with you. However it is amusing to see you scrambling for a girl – a mere **human** girl."

At that Dale launched himself at Darren. Before she even realized what was happening, the twins were tangled in a fight down on the ground. The fight lasted for at most one second, and in a blink of the eye Darren was standing again, patting his sleeves to remove the dust. Dale was held down on the ground by five vampires who had suddenly materialized as if by magic. She gaped with wide eyes.

"But we can settle this now, too. If you insist of getting in my way, Dale, I shall have to end it for you." Darren huffed contemptuously, crossing his arms before his chest.

"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN!" Dale was bellowing with fury, thrashing to break free from the grasp of the Royal Guards. They seemed to be straining to hold him down, despite the fact there were five of them, they seemed to barely match Dale's strength. She bit harder, she chewed on the inside of her cheek, trembling. She was afraid, not of Darren, but for Dale. He was losing control.

"Let him go," Darren waved his hand dismissively. The guards hesitated.

"We shall have a match,"

The guards withdrew quickly. In less than a second Dale was crouching, and the guards had retreated behind Darren and Isavora. Dale growled with malice, she stared with horror as black claws ripped through the skin on his fingertips. His fangs grew into intimidating length, glistering with venom that formed crystal droplets at the sharp tips. She had never seen his true form before, and never had she witnessed the beast dormant inside him. She had never seen him fight, and she was frightened at the thought of what he could do – she was about to see it. Terror rippled through her, she stepped back in consternation, her breathes shallow with fear.

Darren smiled with confidence, his claws slipped into sight and his fangs grew also. The twin vampires circled each other, scrutinizing each others' movements, each calculating in their heads the best angle to strike at, anticipating an opening. She watched, her mouth was so dry that she could not utter a word.

"She's mine." Darren hissed. He was goading Dale, Xenia could tell, but she had not the time to warn him, because he took the bait.

Roaring, Dale flew at his brother with claws outstretched. In an instance their movements became a blur, they were moving at such incredible speed that Xenia's human eyes could not follow. She watched two shadows clashing against each other, sometimes mingled in a blossom of grey and dark.

Something shot out from the amorphous bunch of chaos, something silver and slippery. It grazed the left side of her face, clinging to her skin. She reached up, her hand shaking slightly. Her fingers found a cold, and thick liquid, she knew it was blood. She pulled her hand away from her face, looking down at her fingers to see the silver blood of a vampire. The blood dried quickly, turning from silver to a dull shade of dark grey. She shivered and looked up again, back to the mass of bitterness and resentment before her. She couldn't tell who was winning, who shed the blood.

A sudden crash made her jump, her heart leaped. Dust flew in the air, the crash her heard came from the impact the wall endured as one of the vampires was thrown against it. There, she saw, Dale leaned against the enormous dent on the wall, panting hard. A trail of silver ran down his chin from the corner of his mouth. His twin did not give him a chance to rest, he flew at Dale again. Xenia gasped in fear, a scream was locked in her throat. It was too fast for her to see exactly what happened, but the next moment there was another crash. She caught a glimpse of Darren lying on the ground and Dale with his claws tearing at his flesh. Before she could blink again, the two became tangled in a fight again that was invisible to her.

All too quickly, before she had a chance to start breathing again, one of the two vampires was thrown against the wall once again. Another large dent appeared on the wall accompanying the loud sound of explosion. To her horror, she saw Dale falling to his knees, his hands clutching his stomach. She could see silver blood seeping through the gaps between his fingers.

She screamed.

"DALE!"

She ran over to him, her mind never generate any thought of hesitation that she might be putting herself in danger. Darren stood panting as she ran past him; he did not make a move to stop her.

"Dale!" she called to him, kneeling down by his side and put her arms around his body. His muscles were still tense, his body still straining in hostility and aggression, but it was clear he was no longer able to fight at the moment.

"Please, tell me you're okay…" she whispered, but knew he wasn't.

He tried to push himself up, but failed even with her support.

"Well, what do you know," he hissed in disdain and hatred, "he is just as low as all those vampire hunters."

"What?" she looked down at his wound and squeaked, appalled. The color of his blood had turned from silver to a dark purple.

"The fucking bastard," he cussed.

"What did he do to you?"

"It's poison, Xenia." He coughed, spattering blood on her shoulder.

"That's cheating!" she glared at Darren, who was standing on the same spot still.

"Call it what you like, the only thing that matter is that I won." He said.

Like Dale his clothes were tattered just like, and there were both deep and shallow cuts and gashes on his body. She saw a vicious bit mark on his shoulder that was gushing blood. But other than that particular wound, the other smaller cuts were all closing rapidly.

_So this is a vampire… _

"Tell me, Xenia, why do you choose to stand by him? Humans like to place themselves in positions that would benefit them the most, so tell me, do you see any advantage in taking his side? Or are you just too naïve?"

"Neither," she glowered at those laughing red eyes, so taunting and arrogant.

"Then what is it? I am curious."

She stopped Dale's laborious attempt to push himself up and gently stroke his hair to offer comfort.

"We don't let our friends down nor anyone we love or care about. Unlike you, we do not slaughter the ones we love, not friends, not siblings, not our **parents**." Her tone hardened with austere to emphasize disgust and hatred she held toward him.

Dale hissed, his head shot up in alarm and hostility, within it concealing pain and sorrow. She flinched.

"How did you know?"

She flinched again at the deadly blue of his eyes.

"Enough drama for the day, I would like my prize back now." he grinned deviously.

Pain exploded suddenly inside her skull, she screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Her mind could no longer hold any thought of Dale or of any other matters, she could see and feel only the world twisting and crumbling before her eyes, the bolts lights blinding her. She screamed, the pain culminated… then she fell into darkness, into unconsciousness.

* * *

They pushed him into the stone cell and quickly retreated out of the prison – they did not like the magic woven into the stones that built this dungeon. It was the magic in the stones that prevented the vampire criminals from escaping, for had the dungeon be made of common stones it would not have been able to detain beings as powerful as the vampires. 

Darren followed into the cell.

"What do you want with her?" Dale hissed, he had finally managed to sit up to display the dignity and pride he still had.

"It's a secret, my dearest brother," he chuckled, the wound on his shoulder had stopped bleeding, soon it would heal just like all the other minor cuts.

"If I told you, then it won't be a secret. But since you are my brother, I suppose…"

"If you want to make her your Queen, you - "

"She would have made a wonderful Queen, so beautiful and majestic as she is."

"If you dare to - "

"But she serves for a greater purpose."

Dale fell into silence. Whatever purpose it was, it could not be good, he was filled with dread.

"Remember the stories our father used to tell us?" Darren leaned against the wall, unafraid of the magic it fostered.

"My favorite was the legend of Lathurius."

Dale said nothing.

"The Great Lathurius, the being that was the cause of the Blood War. The being that was feared even by its own kin, the vampires… it only met its defeat in the hands of the Great Salifus."

"What does this have to do with her?" Dale growled impatiently, he was dreading what his twin had planned for his sweet Xenia.

"Father had told us that Lathurius was sealed in the Darkness by the spell of the most powerful elven sorceress to ever exist, Lady Nysa, who was also the lover of Salifus. To ensure Lathurius would never be released, Salifus and Lady Nysa never revealed where the Darkness is. But there were those who were servants to Lathurius that remained loyal to their lost master, they sought for the Darkness ever since, and even now. You see, I have always been fascinated by the story, the power that Lathurius possesses is the lure. For numerous years I have done research on the location of the Darkness and the spell that sealed Lathurius in it. I have captured servants of the creature and gathered as much information as I could." There was a triumphant smile on his face, Dale could see his lust for power and his greed. He realized, suddenly, what Darren was trying to hint.

"You found it, didn't you?"

"Clever, I did find it. Even better, I found a way to undo the spell."

Dale shivered. No doubt it involved Xenia. He feared not only for her but for all beings that exist in the five realms.

"You are not going to do this," he said, panicking, "You can't possibly be thinking of - "

"Unfortunately I am, Dale."

"You can't! If you release that _thing_, the five realms would plunge into war again, everything will perish! It'll destroy everything!"

"Not if it is under my control." Darren smirked.

Dale trembled in shame and rage – this was a world created by the effort of all those who were willing to give up everything in exchange of peace, this was a harmony created through slaughter and bloodshed, how could he let it go to ruin? His father meant to give him the throne yet he lost it to his twin brother who not only killed their parents but would betray his ancestor by releasing a fiend that was death, how could he face his parents, his ancestors?

"You still haven't explained why you need her." He said, trying to keep calm, but his voice was unsteady and weak.

"The release of the demon requires sacrifice,"

Dale slumped on the floor of the prison cell dazed.

_No… _

"But why her?"

"Haven't you guessed? She is a child of the sun."

He gasped, everything became clear.

"So that's how she knew about my past…"

"Yes. She is the perfect sacrifice, Dale, I have not seen a sun's child as powerful as her in a very long time."

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I'm sooooooooo sorry it took me so long to update, there was just so much going on and so much I had to do, but it's finally Spring break!!!!!! I'll try to update as often as I can, I'm soooooo sorry for the long wait! A big thank you to all those who have been reading and reviewing, and thanks for waiting so patiently! Lots of love! 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – The Escape

_"Then you shall rule by my side, my little raven." He said, kissing her hair with tender affection. She allowed him to hold her, even though she knew he was nothing but deceptive pretense. So coy were the words he spoke, so sweet were the kisses he blew, yet there was no veracity in such false love. His fingers caressed her bare back like wind brushing against water, she shivered in pleasure, suddenly glad she had chosen to wear the only gown she had that cut so low down her back. _

_She closed her eyes and savored his touch, his embrace, but it was no longer easy for her heart to convince her mind that he loved and adored her. She didn't want the truth, she would rather live in lies, lies that kept her seemingly whole when she was really in pieces. But now even as he breathed into her ears fires of blarney, which once she had allowed herself to be burnt in, she could no longer deceive herself. No, he did not love her, he never did, she was only another step in his game of chess. Perhaps, she would rule by his side when he became the victor, but she would still be a servant to him, and a slave to her heart, which he had so firmly grasped. _

_A teardrop fell. _

_He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her eyelids._

_"It's alright, my sweet, there is nothing to be afraid of." He whispered._

_She only nodded, of course he knew not what thoughts her mind produced, she would keep it to herself, just as she kept the pain._

_She would not see the bloodshed, he had promised, but the blood, the death, it was on her hand all the same. She was drowning in a river of sin, and she could not remember how to swim. _

_Was it really worth it? _

_To do carry out his demands so to please him, and to please him so to win his heart, she was caught in the cycle._

_Was it really worth it?_

_Many lives would be lost, and blood be shed. Agony and fear in the burning land of hell, all because of her selfishness._

_Was it worth it?_

_…………………………… no… _

* * *

When she lifted the heavy veils of her eyelids, it was dark, just as it always was in this realm. The pain inside her skull was gone, it left little impression that it was ever there, the only sign indicating the pain was there was her vague memory of the events before she fell unconscious.

"Dale…" she moaned, pushing herself up from a soft pile of blankets and pillows.

"Would you like some water?" A voice offered kindly from her right. She turned her head to find Isavora standing by the bed, her figure seemed to glow like the moon against the darkness in the room.

Xenia swung her legs off the edge of the circular bed and stood, flexing her arms and legs.

"How long was I out?"

"Almost twenty four hours. It's the evening."

The girl bit her lips, this time not in fear but in anger. She had had enough, was tired of being afraid, she was tired of being a prey - she was going to fight back.

"Who's side are you on exactly ?" she asked, almost demanding.

Isavora flinched slightly, her gentle eyes faltered; for a moment she seemed to have drifted out of her body, for she looked empty of life. Before Xenia could realize the blow she had just dealt with her simple question, Isavora recovered and quickly composed herself.

"Would you like to see Dale?" she asked quietly, her pale face was dull and displayed exhaustion.

Xenia shuddered, not in fear but in desperation. She wanted to see him, to be sure he was fine… Darkened purple flashed before her eyes now and again, she still saw him bleeding, all the pain…

"Yes, please." She pleaded, almost begging.

Silently, Isavora turned away and floated into the shadows that lurked in the room. She was like a ghost, a lonely spirit that walked the earth. Xenia followed, feeling the regret and anguish that trailed behind the ethereal shell of what had once been a happy soul. She realized, that there was so much in the world she did not know, all the darkness, the despair, hatred and sorrow, bitterness too… she never been harmed deeply by the other side of the society, never… she could only feel sympathy for those who had, for she did not know what it was like for them.

Isavora entered the closet. She brushed past gowns and robes and other clothing and drifted straight down to the back wall of the enormous dressing room. There stood a statue, another dragon. It stood on two legs, aspiring after the sky, wings slightly spread as if ready to take flight. It held between its teeth a sword, almost as an offer. Isavora pulled the sword from the dragon's jaws and slid its blade into a small gap on the wall above the statue's head. Instantly a slit appeared on the perfect back wall of the closet, it grew bigger as the wall parted with a heavy groan. Xenia stared with wide eyes, half amazed. It did not surprise her much, for it was almost expected: she had seen numerous secret passages in movies. It reminded her of Indiana Jones' adventures – funny, to think that once she thought it only happened in movies.

The dark haired girl did not bother to light a torch, she slid into the silent dark, unheard and nearly unseen. Xenia bit her lower lip, every inch of her body tensed.

"Wait," she gasped nervously. Isavora turned back and questioned her with vacant eyes. Xenia shivered at the emptiness of her, it was as if she was somewhere else, or perhaps nowhere at all.

"Won't they smell me? They'd know."

Isavora shook her head lightly, turning back and headed for the depth of the tunnel, with each step she took the darkness swallowed more of her.

Realizing she could not find her way in the shadowy passages without the older girl's guidance, Xenia ran into the tunnel after Isavora and allowed the darkness to engorge her as well, much to her dislike.

"They cannot. There is magic in the dungeon, it strips them of their keen senses. These passages are entwined with the same magic, no vampires can sense us here." Explained in whisper, brushing past turns and twists with ease.

Xenia, new to the dark and unable to see well, blindly followed the footsteps of her guide, barely keeping up.

She had to see him, she had to.

* * *

He fell back down onto the flat floor of his cell, repelled by the magic woven into the stones that immured him. The ground was abnormally cold to the human touch. Under normal circumstances it would had felt just right for him, but the poison inside him had made all the difference. Warmth, the ground felt hot, it was barely bearable for a creature like him. There were few poisons that could do a vampire harm, and unfortunately these few were all potent and deadly to a vampire. He could feel the venom of sunlight burning in his veins, boiling his blood. It was excruciating, the pain, it wrecked his vampiric body and set it aflame. It was more than just a searing pain, no word could be used to describe how it felt to be burnt to ashes from the inside out by fire of the sun. This poison would work slowly, cruelly, he would be driven past madness by the unendurable suffering.

Knowing this, it would be wise for him to stay still so the poison would not spread as rapidly, but like a crazed beat he shot up from where he had fallen and again threw himself against the wall that stood between him and Xenia. His struggle was violent, relentless, and also reckless. Again and again he slammed his body into the unyielding wall of his prison. It only brought him more pain, he only bled more. Like an water rushing through a wide gap on the dam, his blood gushed out of his open wound, painting the ground a dark crimson purple. But he was oblivious to it, to anything no matter how it tormented him, because his thought of her were so fierce that it overwhelmed his physical pain.

He couldn't think like a rational being, he was made with feelings he had hidden for years, feelings that had built up until they could topple over him with a slight disturbance. Rage, anguish, guilt, shame… and now fear. He remembered his past. He had been powerless, unable to protect the ones he loved. And now his little angel, her life had fallen into his hands as well, and he could do so little to preserve it. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, it was impossible for a vampire to break through the network of magic, and he knew it too: his effort was futile. Beside, he knew Ivan would come… but he couldn't wait, he wanted to see her now… to make sure she was okay… or, perhaps, he was inflicting so much physical pain upon himself to push back those feelings, feelings he did not want to deal with. With a bark he hurled himself at the wall again, only to bounce off the web of golden energy.

The impact of magic had finally gotten to him, this time he lied on his back and panted, too weak to get back onto this feet. His eyes meandered upon the ceiling of his cell, lying in the cold sea of pain made him long for the warmth of his human darling. He wanted nothing more than to hold her keep her in his embrace, never to let go, these minutes he spent away from her seemed so long and unbearable.

"You must be scared…" he murmured, recalling the fright he had seen beneath her brave smile. The thoughts of her being hurt stabbed at him, this pain was greater than any physical torment, and it was now he began to realize that he had fallen in love with her. He wanted to keep her safe… even if it cost him his life. But how long could this last? He knew not what step to take next, or where it might take him. While Darren stood above the world, Dale was trapped inside a maze, blind to everything else but the path he walked. How could he stop Darren if he knew nothing of the Darkness? Or of the spell that incarcerated Lathurius? What would happen to his sweetheart? He felt lost, so lost.

"You took them away," he growled through grinded teeth, fists clenched. The past flashed before his eyes, he saw the bodies of his mother, then his father, so lifeless and empty… Anger rose, higher and higher, until it threatened to burst out of his chest.

"Now you want to take her away,"

Defying his exhaustion, his feebleness, he pushed himself up. His wound was torn open wider at the effort, his blood ran freely. He didn't notice. He crouched, baring his teeth. Suddenly, a sound burst into the empty cell. His focus immediately shifted. _The lock_, he growled in his mind. Alarmed and hostile he turned toward the entrance of the cell. The loud creak rang hollowly, like the laughter of an old hag. He snarled, anticipating whatever was beyond the door. With eyes piercing like daggers he glared at the door as it swung open heavily. A figure was revealed standing in the doorway. A brief glimpse granted him relief. He let out a long breathe and relaxed from his crouching position.

"They just had dinner," Ivan explained, stepping into the cell. He carried no particular expression, but Dale could tell from the rigid way he moved that he was no more comfortable with the magic than any other vampire.

"The drug knocked them out good, it'll last for - "

He stopped as his gaze wandered upon the dented wall. The vampire's lower jaw dropped. Dale laughed heartily, he had never seen his friend display his shock so intensely. Quickly Ivan composed himself and cleared his throat, but shock lingered in his eyes, gleaming.

"You are not normal, no vampires are capable of this. No vampires can withstand the enchantment here, let alone breaking it." he said, examining the huge dent on the wall and its golden web of enchantment that now and then flashed to signal its existence. Dale only chuckled.

"You have potential, just like your mother thought."

"If she had not been so afraid to take risk with me, I could have become be the first vampiric wizard."

"I don't believe you would have wanted to learn her art anyway, after all your nature rejects magic. But what I don't understand is," he glanced down at the ground, coated in his blood. Then his gaze traveled back to the dented wall. "I told you I'll come, why the struggle?"

"I don't understand why your plan is so complicated."

"I told you, your rescuing Xenia would give me time to drug the Keep's blood supply, with the enemies all out of the way, you could get her and get out of here without any risk."

"It was a gamble, friend. He could have killed me."

"It wasn't a gamble, Dale, you're still alive aren't you? I know him, he wouldn't kill you, he would keep you alive just to torment you."

"Right, turned out he - "

"Poisoned you? Predictable, and I can tell from looking at the color of your blood."

"You don't miss anything, do you?" Dale chuckled.

"No one can miss it when it is everywhere." Ivan's face twitched slightly as he said this, Dale interpreted it as a wince, a grimace.  
"Why the struggle? How could you even move with the pain?"

"I wasn't thinking, I want to get to her." A tremor ran down his spine, tremor of… fear?

"Like a vampire trying to get to a pool of blood when he has drunk nothing but air for long enough to starve him." Ivan elaborated, the words seemed to pull at the corner of his mouth, and Dale knew it was a smile.

"Don't even say it, I'm not use to being in love with a human." He warned.

Ivan said nothing more. He reached inside his cloak and pulled out a small package. He threw it to Dale, who caught it without even directly looking at the.

"Antidote." He said simply.

"How do you even know what I'm poisoned with?"

"Sun dust? How predictable."

Signing with admiration, Dale ripped the package open and poured the silver powder over his wound. His flesh sizzled. Like an electric wave the pain pulsed through every inch of his muscle. He did not cry out loud, did not make a sound. Vampires, they were too proud to give in to pain, even great ones. The searing pain quickly passes, but his body ached all over, thank goodness it was only a dull pain.

"You're healing pretty fast," Ivan remarked, turning and slipped into the corridor. Dale followed.

The corridor was broad; it led to a chamber that was the heart of the dungeon. There was no guard there, for there was no need for any: the magic here would allow no prisoners to escape – but that was before now. But the two vampires did not stop to look at the structure of the dungeon, in a flash they were before the two- panel doors that locked the underground away from fresh air.

A sound turned them away from the doors. Not so much startled, but surprised, and without a word or an exchange of glances, they followed the sound down the corridor and entered the middle chamber. It was empty but for the thick pillar that ran from the ceiling to the ground.

"There's nothing here," Dale stated the fact. Ivan shook his head.

He pointed to the pillar, "I don't think it's a vampire."

"What?"

A great thump echoed in the chamber, Dale tensed. His friend, on the other hand, seemed not at all alarmed.

On the smooth surface of the pillar, a shape gradually became visible, the shape of an arch. It was outlined by a dark line that seemed to have been engraved into the stone by an invisible knife. Then, with a gentle shiver, the pillar gave a groan, the arch carved into the pillar began to break away, descending into the ground. Ivan watched, detached, while Dale recall his father leading him through dark tunnels that were like a labyrinth… then he remembered, the secret passages that ran through the walls of the Keep.

The pillar came still the moment the arch vanished completely into the ground. The dark-haired girl paced out of the shadow beneath the arch and into the chamber, which was dimly lit. Ivan rushed to her, silently he whispered to her. Dale tried not to listen, it was private, he thought. Another figure emerged from the archway, he did not need to look to see who it was, he sensed her the moment the arch began to sink down.

He came to her in a single dash, pulling her into an embrace that she thought was more like an attack. He held her in his arms, almost trembling, as if he had lost her, so she could only stood in confusion. She was dazed, not even realizing that in all his passion he had held her without restrain, bruising her with his excessive strength. Uncontrollably, she began to sob. She didn't know why, she only knew her heart writhed in her chest, unable to withstand the feelings rushing through her veins, it was as if a thousand flaming pythons tearing her apart from the inside. She cried, she could not bear those feelings that strangled her, she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. He seemed to have realized that he had too strongly expressed his emotions and quickly lightened his hold on her, gently now so he would not hurt her by accident.

"Everything's fine now, sunshine, I am taking you home." He whispered.

It was not the time to show weakness, she knew it too, so she pushed down her feelings with great effort and blinked away her tears.

"That's it," he said, his tone was lightened, carrying a hint of soothing laughter. He had, too, locked away the emotional part of his being. "Don't be such a crybaby."

He snickered with a smug grin, gently still. A laugh broke through her ceasing sob, she punched him in the chest with one fist while with the other hand she wiped away her tears.

"When we get out of this, I'm gonna make you pay for every time you teased me." With the threat, she smiled, like sunlight breaking through rain clouds.

He smiled back and took her hand, "Just you try."

"Wait a minute, what happened to your wound?"

"Oh, that, I told you vampires heal fast."

"I thought you were poisoned."

"I am invincible."

Xenia huffed and crossed her arms before her chest, obviously not buying it.

Isavora came to them with Ivan trailing behind her. She seemed to have grown cheerier, for some reason.

"The passages can lead to the outside of the Keep also, it would be less dangerous and faster. They cannot follow our tracks." She said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Lead the way." He gestured toward the tunnel with a courteous smile. Isavora returned the courtesy with a weak, faltering smile and entered the tunnel.

"And milady?"

Xenia rolled her eyes as he bowed to her with a wide grin, his eyes glistening with laughter. She stepped into the darkness after the dark haired girl. As soon as she disappeared into the passage, Dale pulled Ivan aside and whispered in vampiric speech, "I suppose she is the girl you had told me once or twice about some time ago?"

Ivan nodded callously, his eyes drifted toward the opening on the pillar. Dale's eyes narrowed, his face hardened harshly. Ivan looked back at him, staring into his eyes with an impassiveness, unruffled by his friend's intimidation.

"Do not give her any trouble, to me she is a sister I would not leave behind. You can trust her."

Dale, though still pestered by doubt and distrust, shrugged and turned away, following his beloved. He heard Ivan's footfalls behind him.

"You should have learned to trust my judgments by now." He muttered quietly. His voice was too soft to be heard by anyone but Dale, for it did not reverberate inside the narrow tunnel.

Dale shrugged again; yes, he should have know better than to doubt one with so much wisdom and insight, yet his fear for Xenia made him suspicious and guarded.

They caught up with the two girls before a bird's heart could beat even once, and the four made their way through the dark. Among all of them, Xenia stood out with her clumsiness. She constantly tripped over cracks in the ground or bumped into walls, but she could not help herself – she was, after all, not accustomed to darkness like the two vampires and the shapeshifter. After the first few times of almost injuring herself, Dale scooped her up in his arms. She gasped, and her heart almost missed a beat.

"Dude, put me the heck down! It's so embarrassing!" She hissed into his ear; he could feel her body burning against him. With a chuckle he refused to let her go but held on to her tighter, he liked it, her warmth against him, her fragile human body in his arms, he liked the sensation. She did not throw any more complaints at him, knowing he would not listen. The truth was, she liked the feeling of security in his arms.

She wasn't sure how long they traveled in the dark, but as her mind wandered elsewhere they came to a halt. A hiatus followed, it felt as if everything stopped, nothing moved or made a sound. Then unexpectedly, a blossom of light bloomed softly before her eyes, fresh air streamed into the dark tunnel through the opening that Xenia now saw was another arch. They docked as they crossed the arch to exit the secret passage. Before she asked, Dale set her down gently on the solid ground.

"So what now?" she asked, looking around her curiously. She saw woods, the strange plant lives she had seen when she stepped into the realm of vampires. The arch they had came out from was carved into a the trunk of a thick tree, it seemed to her ancient and lacking of life.

"You are going to the human realm, milady." He bowed to her playfully. She raised her left eyebrow in question.

"But the portal doesn't open for a few more days, it hasn't been a week since I stepped through it."

"I told you the ruler of a realm can command the door to open."

"Uh, excuse me, but I don't think your evil twin is going to open it for us especially since he's having _me_ for dinner!"

"Oh, my poor little sunshine, she doesn't get it," he laughed, ignoring her sharpened gaze when she heard his remark.

"Only the 'rightful' heir or heiress to the throne can command the portals."

She stared at him suspiciously for a few seconds, then realization washed over her face.

"Wait a minute, so you're saying…"

"Yes."

"Oh god, this has just gotten a lot more complicated than it was."

**Author's Note**: OMG I am sooooo sorry to all my readers out there! I haven't updated forever! I am really sincerely and terribly sorry that it took me so long, just last week I was still in school, I was too busy preparing for finals and papers and all that stuff, you know how teachers tend to leave everything to the end of the year, so… I apologize for the long wait, and this chapter isn't very good 'cause I rushed it, I promised myself I'd update this week, so here you go. Sorry if it isn't very good, I'll try to get the next chapter done asap. I love you all, thank your for reading and reviewing!

Wings


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – The Game Begins

The figure sat facing the balcony, watching the murky sky outside with utter silence. The cool wind blew in softly from the terrace, whispering no words as if terrified of the vampire lord. It was unusually dark for daytime in the realm of the vampires, the clouds moved quickly across the sky, twirling as if dancing across a never ending stage. A storm seemed to be approaching, and within the figure wrapped in deep thoughts, a twisted soul was stirred. He was not pleased, in fact he was infuriated. Just one or two hours ago, the entire Keep had woken up in confusion, remembering only the last meal they had taken. The disarray soon turned into bitter realization as the Royal Guards and Honored Maids came to acknowledge the absence of their prisoners. Clever as they were, it did not take long for them to come to conclusion that they were drugged. Of course, they held no personal grudge against the human girl and their Lord's twin brother, but all the same they felt humiliated to be tricked, ashamed that they allowed the prisoners a chance to flee.

Angry murmurs and whispers could be heard in the corridors and chambers throughout the Keep. Vampires held great pride in their superiority, most of all they each thought of themselves too highly to willingly accept the fact that they had fallen for the simple wile designed by one of their kin. Among all of them, Darren was the most shaken by the news. It was a huge blow to his confidence, and had also washed away some of his arrogance, his denial of his defeat compelled him to view the event as a lesson: never underestimate your opponent. Still, he felt anger. No, it was past anger, it was hatred. But he did not let it show – unlike his twin he had more characteristics of a true blood-drinker, he concealed his feelings well and remained unmoved in all situations.

The fairy-like creature bounced about him cheerily, fluttering her butterfly wings. She was grinning, thrilled to be freed momentarily from her cage of crystal mirror.

"You should be happy too," she chirped, tiny teeth like that of a shark's could be seen as she spoke through those blood red lips.

Giggling, she rose from the ground and clung to his back with her small limbs. The winged-demon-child pulled at his hair playfully, laughing. The sound she made was high-pitched, as a child's voice should be, yet in all its innocence it sounded to him no less eerie than the laughter of an old hag.

"Should I be?" he asked, it was simply a question to amuse himself.

"Why shouldn't you be? It's all according to your plan." She climbed to the top of his golden head and flew into the air, hovering above him like an overjoyed baby sparrow new to flight.

"You were going to let them go anyway. If they did it on their own it makes it less suspicious! If you intentionally let them slip through your fingers, they would start to wonder, and they might not do as you planned."

The demon laughed and performed a few loops in the air before the Vampire Lord. Suddenly, she swooped down and snatched a steam of golden flower from the vase sitting on his desk. She carried it with her to the decorative statue that sat a few feet away from the Darren, and there on the top she settled down, nibbling the soft pedals of the flower. He agreed with her, it was better this way, but he could not bring himself to ignore the fact that they had outsmarted him… but then again, he still had them in his clutches… they would head for that place now, they would find Lathurius – Isavora would, out of kindness of her heart, lead them there. It was what he was certain of. At the thought, he chuckled, arrogantly he gloated over his cunningness. The creature observed him with her transparent crystal eyes, shining with devious light.

"You are right, Scylla. Like I thought, they took her with them."

"Would you not rather have her by your side? She loves you very much." The demon giggled.

"Love. It is the most breakable thing in the world. I always knew she is too kind to remain loyal to me."

"You did not trust her then?"

"No."

"Then why share with her what we know of Lathurius? Or where he is kept?" She halted in her question, chewing the last bit of the dark green leaves that cupped the flower, "She'll lead them there!" The child cried in her shrill voice, shooting into the air unhappily. Darren only smiled, it was a smile without mercy, without compassion.

"Exactly."

"But they will destroy it, won't they?" The demon landed on his desk, drinking in his wintry smile through the gleaming slits of her eyes, so wicked.

Darren wove his hand in the air commandingly, signaling for her to return to her post.

"Be gone, you have work to do, the game has begun."

The demon creature obeyed with a reluctant pout. She dissolved instantly into a mist of silver. The mist, without hesitation, slithered toward the velvet curtain that hid the east wall from the unwanted eyes, and vanished behind it all too soon. Silence ensued, and Darren knew the demon had merged with the mirror again, the crystal mirror that she was bonded to.

He did not move from his chair, he only sat there with his blazing eyes fixed on the black clouds. Yes… love, was so breakable, so fragile and unreal. But beneath his apathetic mask was a face grimacing with hurt; a part of him had believed, really believed, that her love for him was truer and more real than feelings he had ever known. Now that part of him was empty, vacant and dead. Isavora's departure…

He wished that he could have at least bid her farewell.

* * *

The sky dripped with gold and red, the earth was basked in its glory. The wind whispered the presence of light, the gift from beyond the gates of heaven, singing its amorous sonnet to the dawn blushing scarlet. The sky had lifted its black silk veil and opened its lovely eye, and it was the eye that the vampires feared. Before the sun rose, they had taken care to have the curtains drawn shut, so the two vampires would not burn beneath the gaze of the human world. Xenia did not mind it, for as much as she loved the bright light, she needed sleep like all mortals did. After a quick meal of instant noodle and soda to wash it down, she quickly drifted into the dream world, curled up beneath a blanket, with only a small lamp turned on to grant her some comfort. The room was given to them by the generous inn keeper that Isavora happened to be friends with, free of charge. They were grateful to such kindness, for they needed shelter desperately, especially since the two vampires did not wish to risk being burnt to ashes when daylight broke.

The inn keeper was an old woman with wrinkles to mark her wisdom and knowledge. Dale could tell from the way she watched them that she already knew what he and Ivan was. Probably she was a witch, he guessed, or perhaps a seer. But either way, she had recognized Xenia. Who wouldn't? Her face must had been displayed by every news channel on television since the day she was reported missing in the human world. And since she was only gone for a few days, the local residents and the police must be still monitoring the nearby areas very carefully. Until they knew how to explain her absence, they had to remain on low profile for the vampires' sake.

The shapeshifter had gone to find a friend of hers, and only Ivan and Dale remained awake in the dark little room. The room did not smell pleasant in anyway, it was especially noticeable to the two vampires because of their keen sense of smell. The lingering scents of cigarette and alcohol in the air stung their noses and eyes, but they dismissed the discomfort by ignoring it – at least the room was dark enough.

Dale sat by the bed with his chin resting on the pillow so he could watch her sleep closely. He curled the soft strands of her hair around his fingers, smiling with satisfaction. Every now and then, he would touch her cheek gently with his fingertips to absorb her warmth. All these Ivan watched from the darkest corner of the room.

"Seems like you've found your mate." He mused, perched on the back of an arm chair like a hawk.

Dale shrugged with a smile. With such a frantic desire to taste her kiss, it took great self-restrain for him to keep from meeting her lips with his. He knew it would not be fair to her, and she would not be thrilled to find he had taken advantage of her – more likely she would slap him across the face and scream at him. The thought of it made him chuckle with delight: she was cute even when she was angry.

"I never thought my mate would be a human." He looked up at Ivan.

"It is not a surprise, after all, you have human blood in you, and you also have more human traits than the rest of us."

Dale ignored that comment. He hated being reminded of his human blood.

He loved his human mother dearly and had always believed that she was the only noble human to ever be born into this world. To him, the other human beings were only preys, those pathetic, selfish and wicked beings. He still hated them, despised them, so he could not abide with the thought that part of him came from an inferior race. It was even harder for him to tolerate his feelings toward the human girl, because he never dreamt he would find a mate in a human. At the beginning, he was ashamed… but now that he had almost lost her, he began to feel differently…

"Are you going to stay with her?" Ivan's words severed his thoughts.

He shook his head with a sad smile, and remembered that he still had one last thing to do.

"Ivan, have you ever heard of the tale of legend of Lathurius?"

"Yes, when I was a child."

"Even 'till this day, that name haunts our race and those that remember it."

"What about Lathurius?"

"It seems now that Lord Salifus and Lady Nysa are not the only ones that knew the location of the fiend. Darren found it, somehow, and he even managed to find the way to release that thing."

Ivan looked at him incredulously, unshaken by the bad news. Dale, a little frustrated that his friend did not take his words seriously, continued.

"He took Xenia because he needs a sun's child to be sacrificed to break the spell, a strong one."

Ivan watched his eyes harden in silence, then made a graceful leap off the back of the arm chair, leaning back against the wall, crossing his arms before his chest. It was a posture he favored whenever cogitation occupied him.

"It is not like Darren to lie, but this is not believable. No one knows where Lathurius is kept, and more over, the spell Lady Nysa cast is almost impossible to break. The only one who knows how to undo the spell is the Lady herself, since she created the spell."

"I don't know how he did it, but he doesn't lie. Darren plays tricks, he twists the truths, but he never tells a lie."

"It is not easy to believe, still." Ivan countered lightly, seeming unconvinced. "And even if he did find it and knows how to break the spell, I doubt he really is capable of releasing the beast. Knowing and doing are not the same thing."

"Whether it can be done or not, if someone knows where the beast is, then no one is safe. If it is released, both humans and vampires alike will witness their own deaths. I am going to find the gate leading to that thing, then I'll destroy it."

"Don't you think you are overreacting? Have you stopped to consider why Darren even told you all this? He never reveals anything until he succeeds in what he does, why did he tell you what he is planning?"

"He has grown arrogant over the years."

"Dale," Ivan growled, his expressionless face began to show waves of irritation as dale raised his voice at him. "It can be a trap."

"It has to be done!" Dale stood, hissing. It was a warning against Ivan's direct challenge.

"It's her, isn't it? You are afraid Darren would keep coming after her."

"Once he has a target he would not let go of it." Dale winced. Yes, it was her… he was scared, for her.

"So you are doing it for her."

"So what if I am? What, do you want her to end up dead?" The blond haired vampire hissed again, this time showing his fangs with hostility.

Ivan's eyes narrowed.

"I have nothing against her, I don't want any harm to come her way. But you need to see that he is using your affection for her against you. Don't you get it? She is the bait and you are the tiger."

"Whatever he is planning, everything will be fine once I destroy the gate!"

Ivan made no response to his fiery insistence, nor did he return the sign of aggression, but stared in grim silence.

A knock came upon the door. Ivan turned and took a few steps across the carpeted floor to reach the door. When he opened it, he was careful to stay behind it so the sunlight that wandered into the room would not burn him. Isavora considerately rushed into the room so the door could be shut as quickly as possible. Dale, signing, relaxed from his unreceptive position and hid his fangs, but not before Isavora sensed the tension in the atmosphere. She questioned them with her weary eyes of violet.

Ivan shrugged casually, as if nothing had happened.

"You know about Lathurius, right?" Dale asked with suppressed urgency.

They watched her nod as her eyes turned a dark shade of consternation.

"How much do you know about the Darkness?"

"The truth is more complicated than what the legend tells. The legend has it that the thing is sealed inside the Darkness by a powerful spell Lady Nysa invented herself. The Darkness itself is hidden also, in the sixth realm that is. I am sure you have not heard of this before, few knows of the sixth realm. There are spaces outside the five realms, they are called the no-man lands. At the point where these lands intersect, is the sixth realm, a territory that has once been a small segment of the land of the vampires, but was abandoned and severed after the Blood War ended. At the heart of the realm is another portal, it leads to the Darkness. This portal, as you would have already guessed, is sealed by the spell."

"A world within a world, clever." Dale remarked heavily.

"Do you know how we can get to the intersection of the no-man lands? It would be easy to find the sixth realm then."

"Why do you seek it?" her brows furrowed with bewilderment.

Ivan shook his head with a quiet huff, leaning back against a wall. He had given up the arguments with his friend, he could not stop him from going anyway, that stubborn one.

"I want to destroy the gate, or whatever place it is. If the thing is somehow released, no one will be safe from it."

"It is not a single gate that leads to the sixth realm. You see, there are multiple portals that open upon influence by the energy waves in the realms, or the imbalances of different elements that cannot be named. So you see, it is not possible to destroy all these gates."

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to travel into the sixth realm and destroy the gate that leads to the Darkness."

Dale smiled, confidently. The shapeshifter nodded in correspondence, agreeing that she would help with a soft smile.

"It will be hard to find a gate that would open for us to the sixth realm. However, Darren has designed a solution. He located the one gate that opens the most often, it is at where the energy fluctuates the most, in the realm of the minorities. The rest I can explain to you later."

"Good, and are you in?" he opened the invitation to Ivan with a grin. The silent vampire signed, and nodded.

"Alright then. I think we will need some protection from the sun, however, if we are to travel as fast as we can and still blend in with the humans."

"I have a friend who will be willing to give us some red moonlight, it is a potion commonly used by vampires in the human realm so they will be able to walk beneath sunlight." She volunteered.

Dale raised an eyebrow – it would seem that in the twenty years he was imprisoned, his kin had came up with a way to deal with the sunlight.

"When night descends," Ivan said, in his quiet tone, "I can go book us a flight. The portal to the realm of the minorities is, I believe, in Rome." He looked up and shifted his attention onto the human girl, still fast asleep under the blanket.

"What about her?"

Dale turned away from the two, and gawked at the girl he loved in sorrow and worry. He was silent then, because he did not know what was best for her.

* * *

_There was black and red, and nothing else. Red, she saw so much red, everywhere, and still flowing into the dark. She was bathed in red, it was warm and thick, it made her want to hurl. The red poured from her throat, showing no sign of stopping, and the pool of crimson blood simply kept expanding, stretching further into the dark. Dazed, she reached up with a trembling hand and touched the gash on her throat. The fear was dull, dimmed by her acknowledgement of death itself. Lifting her hand before her eyes, she saw red._

_Drip…. _

_The sound vibrated through the dark, through the red, she saw them ripple._

_Drip…._

_She convulsed involuntarily, her breathe sharpened. The sound, it was so loud, so loud that its waves reverberated through her body violently as if to wreck her inside. _

_Drip…._

_Where it was coming from she did not know, but every time it trickled red, a tremor ran down her body. _

_Fright, it was fear, the red… she was all alone. She couldn't cry out, she had no strength. Then, the darkness began to shrink, as if sucked into a vortex it grew smaller, until it was a black sphere above her, the size of a volleyball. There was light, blinding white light. She did not feel relieved. Something wasn't right, there was something queer about the way the shadow hovered above her, inching down at her. She watched it with wide eyes, then here fear grew, for some reason. It slowed, slowed, and stopped…_

_She watched it with horror._

_A screech filled the light, and the black sphere dropped with a deadly speed, slamming into her. She gasped, pain exploding inside her as if something was prying its way out of her body. She couldn't scream. Her soul writhed within her, the darkness pulled at it, slashed at it, it was ripping out her soul, her energy, the light in her. It was tearing her apart, raping her with its wickedness. Her mouth was opened in a silent scream, her face contorted in pain and fear._

_Pain… so much darkness…_

_She clawed at the red floor, and where her fingers had scraped, the red parted. The light pierced through the floor where her nails had scratched away the dry blood, becoming evidence of her struggle. She screamed, silently, trying to cry out for help… but nothing came between her lips, and in the end she saw nothing but red. _

When Xenia woke up, the room was dark. Immediately, her hand flew to her throat, but she felt not cut there, let alone blood. Still panting in fear, she pushed herself up wearily, burying her face in her palms, and sobbed. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep having these horrible nightmares? Her heart pumped laboriously, her stomach twisted in unease. Something was happening… or going to happen. The sun's child sat there covered in a thin sheet of sweat, staring at the wall oafishly, seeking to erase the memory of her death. But she couldn't forget the blood, the red. Moaning softly, she reached for the lamp and switched it on. She robbed her swollen eyes as she trotted into the bathroom, leaving heavy footsteps behind. She took her time in the shower, letting the water drown out her thoughts, yet in the end the water carried nothing into the drain, not her fear, her worry, it only managed to suppress it for her.

When she dried herself and came out wrapped only in a white towel, Dale was there. Startled, she gasped and almost dropped her towel. Embarrassed, she quickly secured the towel, avoiding his laughing eyes. Her mood had suddenly lightened, just because he was there for her.

"The sleeping beauty has awaken." He smiled from where he lied boldly on the bed, his hands folded beneath his head. She smiled back at him, unable to find a word to say.

His gaze began to move from her head and down, she noticed, slowly it moved until it reached her toes, then his gaze rose again. She read the admiration in his eyes, and with relief she found that she could see no lechery there. Growing nervous all the same, she squirmed under his seductive eyes, feeling suddenly self-conscious. He grinned with mischief and sat up, swinging his feet off the edge of the bed and stood. She watched him, biting her lips. The vampire was even graceful removing himself from the bed.

"What now?" She snapped at him out of impatience. The feelings within her was stirring, and unable to determine what she felt, those feelings only provoked irritation.

He was staring at her, almost gawking, she could see his face was quite mesmerized.

"I've never seen a girl quite as beautiful and majestic as you are." He exclaimed softly, taking discreet steps toward her. She could tell from the way he moved that he did not wish to frighten her. Yet, spontaneously, she took a step back; it was not out of fear of him, no, she was simply lost in what she should do. These feelings within her, they were entangled with her pride and dignity, in the mangle she sought for herself, but was instead pulled into the center of the mess.

"You are such a flirt, you know that?" She blurted out, not knowing what else to say.

In another step backward, she found herself cornered against the wall with the vampire but an inch from her.

"It's fun flirting with you, you have the cutest reactions." He chuckled.

She could feel her heart fluttering, her blood boiling. Her mind spun, everything seemed to be sucked away by time, and there were only the two of them. His proximity was almost unbearable, she could feel the icy temperature of his body, his well-muscled body, carved from white marble, perfect and so beautiful…

Her face turned a shade of scarlet, and suddenly shy, she looked away, diverting her gaze onto the floor. He, taking care in not harming her, slowly raised his hands and cupped her face in his palms, as if holding a delicate flower. Gently, he turned her face to him and looked into her eyes. She did not resist him, only slowed herself to fall into his blue eyes that were two abyssal pools of ocean. He leaned down closer, their nose touched.

She shivered.

"Would it displease you, my darling, if I kissed you?" He whispered, his voice a was angelic, like the essence of light itself, so tender and bright.

She closed her eyes.

"Kiss me…"

He pressed his lips to hers, she felt them caressing hers, gently, lovingly. The kiss… tasted of –

She pulled away, her heart had skipped a beat from the impact that resulted from the moment their lips separated. Frantically, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand, half-choking. He pulled back at her rejection, hurt. She could see the grimace belied in his eyes even as he put on a brave pretense.  
"I am sorry."

She heard him apologize. Vigorously she shook her head, almost smiling.

"It's not you, it's the taste of blood." Like a little child, she made a face.

Realization washed away his confusion. With a wry smile, he remembered.

"Sorry about that, I forgot just went hunting."

"I thought you vowed to not prey on humans."

"Yes. And now I prey on wild animals."

"Oh…"

"Next time I will be sure to use some mouth wash."

"Don't flatter yourself, there isn't going to be a next ti – hey, wait a minute!" her smile dropped when she realized that she had just let him kiss her.

"You did that hypnosis thing again!" she cried, her voice shrill, almost exasperated. He gave her a devious grin that openly denied what she said.

"I am sorry Miss, but I did not such thing this time."

"If you didn't, then how did you convince me to let you kiss me?"

"Maybe you wanted to kiss me too."

"Yeah right! Ugh, I can't believe my first kiss is wasted on a jerk, and it was totally gross!"

"Well, _excuse me_ if I have to drink so I don't _die_ of starvation."

"You, you, you, it's all about you isn't it?"

"Just admit it, Xe, you are in love with me."

Stunned, she stared at him, her jaws almost dropped. Indignation made her face burn; she had never felt so undignified in front of a guy. The vampire smirked triumphantly, watching her reaction with high amusement. She glared at him in utter silence, too humiliated to speak. Yet, something appealed to her.

"Dale?" she whispered his name, taking a step toward him and placed her palms on his chest. She stared into those enchanting eyes, now baffled by the armistice.

"I…"

Without changing her softened expression, she kicked his shin, hard, and jumped back like a regretless child that had done something wrong. She was ready to laugh at his reaction, but he did nothing but snicker.

"You know, if I was a human, that probably would have hurt, but since I am a vampire, it didn't. Now that's one for the vampire, we're even."

"Ugh! That's not fair!" she pouted, almost angrily. She could not stand the vampire, simply could not. He was always one step ahead of her, and she hated losing to a brat like him, 'hated' it.

"Come now, my little angel, there is not need to feel threatened by my superiority." He laughed and winked at her.

She only glared at him.

"Where's Ivan and Isavora anyway?"

"The girl is flying to - "

"How did she get the plane ticket? I suppose you 'persuaded' someone to give her a ticket?"

"What makes you think she's taking a plane? She's a shapeshifter, right now she's some sort of bird on her way to somewhere in Arizona."

"What!? She can shapeshift? No one ever told me!" she cried in her shrill voice, feeling betrayed. He looked at her with sympathy.

"It's probably the last thing on everyone's mind when we were trying to escape the clutches of my evil brother." He was chuckling, but Xenia sensed his bitterness all the same. He became a different person every time he mentioned his brother. She was beginning to wonder, with a heavy heart, if the Dale she knew was only an empty shell.

"But now you know what she is. She is flying there to get a potion that allow vampires to stay in the sun without being burnt. As for Ivan, he is booking us a flight."

"Where are we going?"

His smile faltered, she saw, and his eyes dimmed. There were multiple emotions raging in his eyes, they formed a impregnable wall that Xenia could not see through. Frustrated, she felt her spirit dwindled as well with his negative reaction. He sat back down on the bed, signaling her to sit beside him.

"You are not going anywhere but home, little one, as I promised you."

She started. _Home_… The word did not come to her until now, now that he mentioned it. It sounded so strange, so alien and unfamiliar, all of a sudden. _Home_… Yes, she was home, wasn't she? She was back in the human realm. It did not occur to her before. The human girl stared at the wall, and remembered that she missed her family, her friends, she missed the sun. She remembered that she wanted to go home. But everything seemed to drift away from her now, it felt… unrealistic. It was as if she had lost the connection, she had became an extraneous individual to the society that had once embraced her with welcome and love. Why was that? What was wrong?

"Darren might send people after you," she heard him say from far away, his voice echoed like a forgotten memory. "But you don't have to fear for anything, nothing will happen to you, I swear. I know a few powerful allies. The prince of the fairies owes me a favor still, and there are a few sorcerers that were good friends to my mother, they would protect you, you would be safe."

She bit her lip again, it had become a habit for her. Her future seemed almost fabricated, she couldn't imagine a day without… "Where are you going?"

"I have some unfinished business. But after I put it to an end, I'll come back for you." He placed his arm around his shoulders, being gentle and cautious, protective. She looked up. His eyes were flowing with care, it was sincere and true. He smiled and touched her face, trying to offer her solace.

"I dreamed," she said, a tremor ran down her spine, and she closed her eyes with dread. She was scared, frightened, as much as she abhorred admitting her weakness, she could not deny it.

"I was dead, or going to die." Unconsciously, she touched her throat with her fingertips, apprehensive that she would find a wound, or blood. He tensed beside her, his hold tightened around her.

The sun's child didn't want to go home, not now, not before everything was over. She wanted to be with… but she couldn't say it…

The vampire was silent, he placed his other arm around her and pulled her against him, carefully and tenderly, like he feared he would hurt her. The way he held her… she felt cherished, prized, and loved.

"I shouldn't leave you," the vampire sighed in his own language, a language Xenia did not understand. But she could hear the concern in the way he murmured.

Maybe, just maybe, he really cared about her.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – A New Journey

The air was no longer as clean as he remembered it to be, the night was polluted by the nauseating smell of chemicals and cacophonous sounds of machines produced by humans and their technology. It was clear to anyone but the humans that their realm was rotting away. And so he was not the only one to loathe the human kind – none of the other existing beings cared much for the humans, their horrid nature was feared and despised. Once, the humans had been admired and praised for their strong will and endurance, but as time flowed downstream, a majority of them forfeit their honor and began to grow apart with everything else. These isolated beings, adulterated by their own arrogance, embraced their shadows and set afoot their own destruction.

No wonder they were abandoned by their own. After the Blood War ended, those who saw the corruption had long separated themselves from the rest. Most of them were magic possessors, who left even earlier since the humans began to reject such thing as magic and myths. Dale, like those cleverer humans, did not wish to linger here any longer than necessary, sickened by everything. He craved solitude in the woods, where he might find solace in the welcome of the elderly oaks and hemlocks that had known the earth longer than the humans had. But he dared not leave Xenia alone, so he stayed close and settled in the shadow cast by the sleepy body of the inn.

There the vampire prince tipped his head up to be graced by the clusters of stars. He noted that event he sky had lost its vibrancy, and once again he was reminded how ephemeral reality was, before somewhere a man was plucked from his dream, everything would have already faded away. Only the unwise ones talked of amaranthine, for they never acknowledged the fragility of the living, only death would last forever. He allowed the thoughts of death to roll in his head, too weak to stop it.

In his empty heart that was carved by a void of anguish and despair, he still could not accept the fact that she was going to die. Xenia did not know her dreams were visions of futures and pasts, but he knew. While she could shake them off as nothing more than nightmares, he was constantly being consumed by fear for her. She had dreamt of her end… Fate, destiny, or whatever one may call it, always bring death. But could he do nothing to delay it? Had he no alternatives but to watch her die helplessly like he watched his mother and father die? Again he would lose someone he held dear. He had vowed he would not let her die as he let them, but it seemed to him a broken promise now, because all was lost before it even began.

A black bird swam from the field of stars and dove for the ground with sorrowful grace. He watched as the bird's outline blurred and melted, glowing bright, as the feathers shrunk and the flesh expanded. Quickly she changed, back to her human form. She still wore her silk white gown that so perfectly showed off her slender figure, adding more elegance to her beauty. The girl stared at him thoughtfully for a few seconds, and advanced, seeming to have made up her mind.

"Would you care if I join you?" she asked politely.

He shrugged and gestured for her to sit by him. With exceptional swiftness she sat, and pulled her knees to chest.

"The human world has changed so much in such short time." She commented, her voice was but a sigh of the summer breeze.

"Yes," Dale did not turn to look at her, instead he watched the road, where metal cars sped by shamelessly, as if they ruled the universe. "But not all changes are good."

"I agree, some things are better the way it was."

"Was it better when you worked for Darren?"

She shuddered but remained still otherwise, he sensed the tension eruption in her body.

"It is reasonable, your suspicion I mean."

"Ivan trusts you, and I trust his judgment."

"You 'want' to," she said, tuning her face to him.

He did not bother to look at her, there was no need to.

"But you can't."

Silence. Beneath the darkness, there wasn't much, the earth had ceased its singing since its desertion. During the day, there was only the sun that never gave up to revive his children, during the night there was only the moon to mourn her dead city, and the stars to weep over all the graves. Everyone was alone in this world, trust had been lost when the living was no longer pure.

The shapeshifter sighed.

"I don't know if I could trust myself even. I am lost, these years with him had bent me. I am still trying to find my old self, the innocent, naïve girl that was happy. I doubt, however, I would ever be the same."

"I am sure we are all trying to find ourselves, except for Ivan."

Isavora laughed softly at the fact and looked to the sky.

"Yes. He is always so… composed. He always knew who he is and what he wants. I envy him sometimes…"

"Me too."

"Now, not that you trust me completely, will you share with me what is bothering you?"

"You are a lot like Ivan on this, always reading people's feelings."

"Perhaps, but I am no expert like him."

Dale stood lazily and stretched, like a lion in a hot afternoon, having had its lunch. With a grunt he sat down again. He was trying to ignore the pain, the pressure, but there was no relief.

"You know she is a sun's child."

"Yes."

"She dreamt of dying."

Isavora said nothing, as if unwilling to accept the news.

"It is just so cruel for fate to give hope then strip me of it. I am loosing her, Isavora, she's slipping away. My hands are tied, I can't do anything about it, when the time comes, I can only watch her die… watch her bleed and struggle…"

"You are a fool if you allow fate to take hold of you." She rebuked in dissonance, shooting up in anger.

"If you really love her, you will fight instead of bleat. It is pathetic."

"There is nothing to be done!" he barked, his frustration and suffering bursting. He felt a great flare of rage, of hate. Why? Why did this happen to him? Why did it happen to her? **WHY**?

"There is if you are willing to fight for her." She seethed, almost coldly, almost contemptuous. "We all have to protect what is precious to us, Dale. There are many things stronger than fate, one little choice, one little step can change one's destiny. What she sees is only one face of the future, for it has many faces."

"Stronger than fate…" he murmured, clutching his hair, his head bent between his knees. So much agony, twisting him…

"What do you know of fate?" he mumbled, with a dry laughter that was full of pity, pity for himself.

"I know enough to not bend with its taunt."

With that remark, the girl, holding herself for the first time without sadness, vanished into the night, leaving behind her a tortured vampire.

* * *

"Yes… lemon juice, right? And what would you like?" The flight attendant turned to Ivan, flashing him her most seductive smile.

She never met Isavora's eyes, Dale noticed, because she could barely spare the time to look at anyone else, being too busy stealing constant glances at the silent vampire. Dale snickered, watching Ivan desperately trying his best to avoid meeting anyone's eyes.

"What?" Xenia asked from his side, her eyes glistering with curiosity, like an innocent little doe, he thought.

At the tilt of his head, she followed the line of his vision to the interesting scene playing out just a few seats before them.

"It's Ivan. It is always so entertaining to watch girls flirt with him." He chuckled, knowing very well that Ivan could hear his mirth.

"Ivan doesn't know how to charm girls at all, but they flock to him al the same. He has a natural charisma, it's even special among vampires, he couldn't keep them away if he tried."

Xenia giggled, the bubbly sound she made popped around him, he felt suddenly blissful. The way her eyes gleamed with effervescence, the way she blossomed, it filled him with infinite joy. He watched her out of the corner of his eyes, smiling softly. The human girl did not seem to have noticed at all, she was still giggling as the flight attendant batted her eyelashes at Ivan, trying her best to direct his attention unto her.

"You are right, it is funny." She laughed.

He tuned his head so his gaze was beheld her at full sight. She was truly a beautiful wonder; golden aura seemed to flare from her when she smiled, so bright, so dazzling, and so pure. She was divine, a creature that was born in the light of heaven, before his eyes she shone as the sun did, only she was more magnificent. Her brilliant light made him burn like he never had before. She had brought him something he had not felt since the demise of his parents – it was life, it was hope, it was happiness…

"Dude, you're staring," she said in a muffled voice, he could almost detect the shyness in the way her lips moved. He blinked and found the egress of his reverie by following her words. Forgetting himself, his brain could spin nothing for him to speak but a gentle smile.

She blushed.

He heard her pulse quicken with a squeeze, and as soon as the heart rose to her face she turned away, avoiding his eyes.

"You are such a freak!" she mumbled, but only resulted in his smile growing wider.

He had come to learn that she always reacted with annoyance or irritation to hide her real feelings. It was, the way he saw it, a defense mechanism she had developed to protect her weaker self, and that weaker self was somewhere beneath her shell, dormant and unaware. Silent and content, he watched her, and she watched the clouds drifting by with their ethereal charm, a lullaby to the eyes. He didn't know if he did the right thing by bringing her along with them, doubts and fear still clawed behind his eyes, always lurking just a little under the surface of his impermanent delight.

This morning he made his final decision, that he would not leave her behind. When she woke from her restless sleep, plagued again by the visions of her death, he held her the way a lover would and murmured against her hair words to placate her dread. He had asked her to come with him, his soothing voice flowing with sincerity and love. However, he doubted that she could hear his feelings, the passion he had for her. It was not so much asking, but practically telling her she would be coming with him on his quest.

He wished not for her to live her waking hours in trepidation when the darkness haunted her dreams.

To his surprise, she simply nodded with no complaints, no protests. Strangely, she did not even inquire about his quest. He took it that she was just grateful to be brought along, so she asked nothing. He could see from the way her tension eased that she did not want to be left on her own. Though she had expressed none of her relief, for the sake of her pride, she wanted to be with him, and he knew it. In all her bravery and show of fearlessness, she was not as strong as she appeared, she wanted to be comforted and shielded from harm like all living beings. In this case, he was the protection she sought. Of course, he knew there was danger, knew what may come, and sooner or later he would have to tell her to truth. Yet, after careful consideration, he was not convinced that she would be any safer among her own kin - his brother had spies scattered all over the human world.

Perhaps he was partly urged by his own selfishness, he concluded it would be best if she stayed by his side. He could watch over her, his sweet maiden of light…

"Dale!" she called to him.

He blinked and finally saw her palm before his eyes, flashing side to side.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

He chuckled and, with care, reached up to close his long fingers around her wrist. Gently he pressed her arm down, and with her lack of resistance encouraging him he slipped his hand back slowly so their palms joined. Under her curious gaze, he raised her hand to his lips, much like an affluent gentleman, he kissed her knuckles.

"Milady requests of me?" in his deep, melodic voice he sang to her, his eyes sparkled with pleasure as he caught her gaze. The human girl blushed yet again, this time more scarlet than before, she withdrew her hand quickly in the way that an embarrassed dove would take flight.

"What the heck, Dale? Just a few days ago you were all rude and stuff, and now you are being _chivalrous_? Please, if this is another strategy of yours to undermine slash annoy me, it is not going to work."

"It seems to me like it's working just fine."

At that, she rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, you are the most aggravating guy I have ever met. How does Ivan put up with you? You two are like totally opposite personalities."

He smiled. He wasn't even sure how they became friends, it seemed to have all started out in rivalry between the two of them. It was interesting, really, how they developed such friendship.

"Oh yeah, speaking of Ivan, don't you think he and Izzy would make a good couple?"

"What?" Dale almost choked. Biting the inside of his cheek he managed to restrain his laughter.

"You know, the two of them, together?"

"I think you and I would make a good couple." He watched her eyes narrow, feeling more than satisfied when the faint blush on her cheeks darkened.

"Stop flirting, Dale."

"Oh, but you are just adorable when you blush."

"Just shut up!"

"Whatever you wish, milady. However, on the matter of those two, I would have to disagree with you."

"Why? You don't think they'd be sweet together?"

"They are not destined for one another."

"Or so you say, Mister Know-it-all."

"I just know such things, sunshine."

"Don't call me that!" she hissed, with a deep chortle he held his hands up as if to surrender.

"Whatever you wish, sunshine."

"Ugh," she sat back into her seat, squirming into a more comfortable position. "I would love to hit you over the head with a shovel if I had one."

"I'm sure you wouldn't repay your rescuer with such brutality."

"Don't count on it, especially since you got me into this mess in the first place."

"Me? May I remind you, little one, that I wasn't the one who accepted a silly dare and stumbled upon an exiled vampire's dwelling."

"Oh, so now I'm the 'little one'?"

"Yes, sweetheart," he teased her, entertained by her various reactions to his actions.

The girl's face had been flushed with humiliation the moment he mentioned the dare, now atop her blush was tint of irritation, to him it seemed that she was upon the verge of one of her rages. With great interest he concentrated on Xenia, much amused like a bored cat with a flying mouse.

"If you recall, I am a vampire, I have lived much longer than you have, my dear."

"And how old are you exactly?"

"Almost two hundred years now, it is equivalent to eighteen human years, which means I would still be older than you if I was a human."

She did not seem shocked at his age, nor did she gape. The girl blew a lock of hair out of her face and made a face at him.

"Well, I don't care how old you are, quit calling me that or you will wake up one day tied to a chair."

"I doubt I will, my kind does not sleep much."

"Maybe I'll get lucky." She pouted stubbornly, so much like a child.

His heart gave a falter and melted like butter in heat.

"Find then." He said, softening.

The girl grinned with triumph that was so palpable in her eyes.

_My love_…

"Your boyfriend much be worried sick back in where you live."

His statement drew instant attention from her. Her brows furrowed gently with confusion and suspicion.

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Really? I thought a girl like you would have flocks of guys chasing after you."

"Not really," she laughed, seeming glad instead of disappointed. "My friends said I intimidate guys with my 'machoness'." She crooked her slender arm, grinning archly as if she had any muscles at all. He smiled, thinking of how adorable her impression was.

"I bet you got a bunch of girls chasing after you using that vampire charm – or 'hypnotism', of yours."

"Got that first part right, not the second part though. I thought no girl could resist me until you showed up, obviously you didn't fall for me. You being a sun's child probably had something to do with it though…" he trailed off in his sentence, realizing that she was not suppose to know what she was, at least not now…

"Sun's child?"

He blinked indifferently and quickly, rummaging through his head, found an explanation.

"Being such a bright girl you wouldn't want to hang with the 'prince of darkness' now would you?"

She laughed. His heart dropped with relief. From a dark corner the worry never ceased to tug at him: she would know sooner or later, eventually. The terrible truth, it would have to come out in the end, and he would be the one to tell it. Again he began to believe it may have been more suitable if he had left her out of all of this… _But she is safer with me_. He clung on to the pacifying thought, reassuring himself that he had made the better choice.

"Well, aside from being such a pest, you're an okay guy, I guess." Xenia sighed merrily and took a sip of the lemonade she had ordered some time ago, sitting in the cup holder all the while they talked.

"I am honored to be so highly regarded by you, milady." He bowed his head jokingly.

"Yeah, like you really are. So… I guess you don't have a girlfriend, huh? I mean, with so many girls at your feet you can just have anyone of them anytime you want, why would you make a commitment?" she said casually as if she had already deemed him to be like so.

He gasped dramatically.

"Are you implying I am a player?"

"I hate to break it to you, Dale, but you 'do' look like a player."

"I am much offended! How can you say that after all we've been through?"

"What? What do you mean by 'all we've been through'?" Her brows furrowed lightly, palpably alarmed.

"Well…" Dale began, his smile grew crooked with devilish shrewdness. He was remembering the last night, when she was one towel away from being completely nude before him, when he kissed her, when they were so intimate…

He knew from the way her eyes widened that she realized what he was thinking. Flushing, she seemed to grow furious with shame, like a child who was caught stealing berries from her next door neighbor.

"Don't even start on that, it doesn't mean anything, you tricked me into kissing you."

"Really? I think you just don't want to admit your feelings for me." He winked at her, meaning to tease. She looked like she was about to explode.

"Get a friggin' life, go hit on a girl stupid enough to fall for you."

"I thought I was doing it."

She glared at him with deadly dagger eyes, flashing in silent wrath. Then, huffing sharply in exhaustion, she turned her face away, saying nothing. Immediately he knew he had gone far enough, she almost seemed tired of him. Disappointed and worrying that he had really upset her this time, he dropped the game and changed the subject quickly.

"Anyway, Xe, I don't have a girlfriend. If you think I'm that kind of guy, you are wrong. Vampires are solitary creatures; the only ones we hold close are the family, one or two loyal friends, and the mate. Because of our nature, we do not waste our feelings on those we cannot come to love. Therefore we search for a perfect mate to spend our lives with. I do not know how to describe it, I don't think you humans have a word for this, I think the closest word for it would be 'soul mate'."

"Ooooh, I see." Sensing that he was no longer playing with her, she murmured, calming down. "I kinda feel like I'm listening to a lecture on vampires."

"If you'd like to know more, I'm the perfect guy to ask."

"Yeah, no duh." She said absently, her guarded eyes scanning the people sitting around them.

Dale immediately guessed her concern.

"Don't worry," he whispered, leaning so close that his lips brushed her earlobe. Complacently he watched her recoil at the coy contact, her face flushed.

Quickly after she recovered, she gave him a warning glare.

"Most of them are asleep, and the others have their earphones on. I don't think we have to worry about anyone eavesdropping."

"That's good. You think they'd freak out if they heard us talking? Or they'd just think we're crazy."

"That's about right."

"Hey, I'd been wondering, since sunlight burns you, do holy water and cross also hurt you?"

"No, Xe." He replied with an incredulous smile. "We are vampires, not some demon from hell, and I don't think holy water and cross would even give them a scratch. Sometimes I really wonder, did you think you live in a fantasy world?"

"Oh yeah, like you're the one to tell me." She rolled her eyes.

"I suppose you also think we are enemies of the wherewolves."

"I do… did, until now. I bet you're going to tell me you guys are BFFs."

"Not exactly. It is commonly known to humans that the wherewolves and the 'undead' hold deep hatred for one another, but it is not true at all. First, we are not un-dead, we are just like any other beings, only that we have characteristics that you humans find unnatural. Secondly, wherewolves are not humans that are able to turn into wolves, they are a race of beings who, like us, also prey upon humans. We are allies with the wherewolves since the Blood War, after all we are too much alike aside from the fact that they are social beings: we are both creatures of the night and we are both lions in sheep's skin"

"What do you know? We _do_ learn something new everyday."

"Better keep that in mind, especially on this trip, you are going to see much more than you can handle."

"Oh, please." She grinned and crossed her arms before her chest confidently. "I can handle anything."

"Except me."

He flashed her a dazzling smile, gloating.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

That night, they borrowed the stealth of the night and snuck into the Colosseum that slumbered in the beautiful city of Rome. It wasn't hard, especially since Xenia had help from Dale. The door was opened at the rightful heir's command, and, dragging their packs, they stepped through. Three of them had taken a long breath to prepare them for what would come, only one was blessed with the gift of unknowing.

When the portal closed, the red-eyed demon smiled from realms away. _Perfect_.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Hey! Sorry that I haven't posted anything for a while, but now finally I got this chappy done! yay! I hope you guys enjoyed it, if there's anything wrong with it, or anything you think I can improve on, just tell me, thanks! I want to thank you all for being such good audience and sending in reviews and stuff, I really appreciate you guys. So yeah, just a heads up, from this point on there's not going to be too much actiony actions, I'm going to work on the development of D and X's relationships and try to get some other stuff in too, so I'll see you next time in Ch. 20! Love you guys!

wings


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